Splash247: Big boxships flood into Mediterranean trades

Published by Splash247

The number of ships above 8,000 teu operating in the Mediterranean has nearly doubled over the past year.

According to data from Alphaliner, the number of containerships exceeding 8,000 teu in Mediterranean trades has climbed from nine to 16 over the past 12 months, representing a 78% increase.

The trend marks a significant shift for a trade where the average vessel size stands at just 1,870 teu and underlines carriers’ growing willingness to deploy larger ships on shorter regional routes.

Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) remains the driving force behind the upsizing trend. The Geneva-headquartered carrier now operates nine of the 16 large vessels active in Mediterranean trades, up from six out of nine a year ago.

Recent additions include the 9,411 teu MSC Giselle, the 9,408 teu MSC Elma, sisterships MSC Lagos X and MSC Nairobi X, both rated at 9,403 teu, and the 9,288 teu MSC Brittany.

Other carriers are also increasing their presence. COSCO has doubled its deployment of vessels above 8,000 teu to two units, while Hapag-Lloyd continues to operate the 8,750 teu Sofia Express in the region.

Alphaliner noted that 14 of the 16 vessels are deployed on North Europe-Mediterranean services, reflecting the relatively long sailing distances compared with other intra-European trades and allowing operators to maximise economies of scale.

The trend has also produced a new record-holder for the largest containership operating on Mediterranean routes.

The 9,962 teu Maersk Sirac now holds the title, surpassing MSC’s MSC Aby, a 9,640 teu vessel that held the distinction a year ago before moving to the Asia-North America trade under the name MSC Aby X.

The Maersk Sirac is currently trading as an extra loader in the Mediterranean but is scheduled to join Maersk’s new Egypt-Turkey E8 service alongside the 8,850 teu Maersk Lebu.

Once deployed, the E8 loop is expected to become the largest intra-Mediterranean shuttle service by weekly capacity, significantly exceeding the capacity offered by existing regional services such as CMA CGM’s BSMAR service linking the Mediterranean, Black Sea and Morocco with vessels of between 4,300 teu and 4,600 teu.

The deployment of increasingly larger ships highlights how vessel cascades from major east-west trades continue to reshape regional shipping networks.