Record-Breaking 27,500 TEU Container Ships Might Ply The East-West Trade Routes By 2030

The shipping industry might soon witness a new era of supersized container ships, according to recent forecasts by the maritime consultancy firm Alphaliner, which stated that increasing fuel costs and rising greenhouse gas emissions might push shipbuilders to build much larger boxships, beating the current record of 24,300 TEUs.

The Gigamax container ships would have a carrying capacity of up to 27,500 TEUs, compared to the current largest vessels, which can accommodate a maximum of 24,000 TEU.

These ultra-large container ships have been the standard for almost a decade, measuring 400 m lengthwise and 61 m breadthwise, with their dimensions chosen to easily fit through the Suez Canal and the Panama Canal, along with the current port infrastructure.

For years, carriers also accepted this size as the limit for the container shipping market, which suited their requirements as well.

However, times are changing, and so are the needs of maritime trade, which is expanding as the world population continues to increase, thereby increasing demand for goods and services.

Alphaliner thus suggests that the 24,000 TEU mark will be crossed soon. It has predicted that by the 2030s, the gigamax vessels could become a reality.

Operated by one of the three major shipping alliances, they would sail on the East-West trade routes first, before becoming common on several trade lanes.

Consultants at the firm are of the opinion that increasing fuel prices, due to geopolitical conflicts, closure of maritime routes in the Gulf region, and the pressure to meet environmental regulations and achieve net-zero emissions, as laid out by the IMO, would make these new vessels competitive.

As constructing new ships and consequently operating them would get expensive, maximising the cargo capacity per voyage would help attain the balance through greater economies of scale.

To build 27,500 TEU vessels, shipbuilders would not need to make drastic changes in design; rather, just tweak the present 400-metre vessels to 425 metres or a bit more by adding one or two extra 40-foot cargo bays.

Alphaliner also added that most global ports with modern infrastructure and regular dredging, which can accommodate the current largest container vessels, will face no issues in welcoming the slightly bigger ones as well.

However, many ports in the U.S would be off limits, as they lack the infrastructure to even handle the 24,000 TEU vessels and hence require expansion.

China’s Shanghai Ship Research and Design Institute is also exploring the feasibility of container vessels powered by nuclear energy, with a carrying capacity of more than 24,000 TEUs.

The global container capacity has increased from 23,2 to 34.1 million TEU in the last few years, making the demand for growth quite strong in the sector.

As older ships retire and carriers look to build a new environmentally compliant and economically efficient fleet, the gigamax vessels might become difficult to ignore.