More than 10% of the world’s container fleet capacity is currently parked off in chosen safe anchorages – silent and unwanted. According to the latest AXS Alphaliner stats, of a global fleet of 4 690 vessels totalling over 12.5-m TEU capacity, 453 container ships with a total capacity of 1.35-million TEUs are sitting idle – and it’s still a growing number. It’s got really bad in the past six months. Last October the figures read 70 ships idle, total capacity on stand-down, 150 000 TEUs. By December 8 this had bumped out to 135 ships of 300 000 TEU capacity, and by February 2 it had rocketed out to 303 (800 000 TEUs). Now we’re on 453 (1.35-m), and still counting.
