Maersk Confirms Reports of Large New Ship Order
Maersk is moving forward with a large new ship order, equivalent to approximately 10 percent of the carrier’s current total capacity in operation. The news comes after days of speculation in the industry that Maersk was placing large orders and adjusting its strategy, which over the past few years has mostly focused on fleet renewal.
“We can confirm that Maersk has ordered 26 large container vessels as part of our ongoing fleet renewal program,” a spokesperson for Maersk told The Maritime Executive on Friday. The carrier has not yet made a public announcement, and so far details are still left to speculation.
The company confirmed, however, that the new vessels will have a capacity of 18,600 TEU and will be equipped with dual-fuel engines able to operate on liquefied gas. The vessels are expected to be delivered in 2029 and 2030.
The new vessels will be among the largest in the Maersk fleet, as the carrier so far has not followed others in the industry in the jump to ultra-large container vessels with a capacity of 24,000 TEU. Maersk’s largest vessels are the Triple E Class, which was introduced between 2013 and 2019, with a capacity ranging between 18,270 TEU and 20,568 TEU between two groups in the class.
Maersk in February 2026 announced its previous large ship order with China’s New Times Shipbuilding Company. That order was for eight large vessels for delivery in 2029 and 2030, as well as possible options that are now being reported. The ships will be equipped with dual-fuel engines for conventional bunker fuel or liquefied gas and have a capacity for 18,600 TEU.
Analysts at Linerlytica and Alphaliner had started much of the speculation in recent days about a major new shipbuilding effort. In addition to expanding the order for the 18.600 TEU vessels, Linerlytica wrote that Maersk was in fact making the jump with orders in China for vessels with capacities of 24,000 and 19,000 TEU. Alphaliner also believed that Maersk was negotiating for a class of vessels with a capacity of at least 24,000 TEU. Some of the reports speculated that the total for the next phase of the new ship program was 40 or more vessels valued at upwards of $9 billion.
In 2024, Maersk detailed its fleet renewal plan, saying that while it was placing orders, the ships would be replacing existing tonnage and capacity with the goal to “maintain our fleet size at around 4.3 million TEU.” By December 2024, it confirmed orders with three yards for a total of 20 new vessels, representing a combined capacity of around 300,000 TEU. It detailed the orders as six 17,000 TEU vessels, a dozen 15,000 TEU vessels, and two 9,000 TEU vessels, with almost all being built in China except for six coming from Hanwha Ocean in South Korea. The earlier statement about the fleet program said these vessels would be part of a total program of 50 to 60 vessels representing 800,000 TEU, with the remaining 500,000 TEU being under long-term charters.
What’s changed is the growth of the competition, with MSC Mediterranean Shipping reaching nearly 7.5 million TEU of total capacity. CMA CGM is also approaching Maersk in size, with its shipbuilding deliveries set to surpass Maersk as the industry’s second-largest carrier.
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Maersk has recently reported stronger-than-projected financial results, highlighting continued strong demand and slower but steady growth in the industry, while also expressing concern about overcapacity. It also highlighted the sharp fluctuations in the market and the impact of geopolitical and external events, such as the unrest in the Red Sea that forced vessels to reroute. While Maersk, in partnership with Hapag-Lloyd in the Gemini Cooperation, is restoring routes to the Suez Canal - Red Sea corridor, CEO Vincent Clerc has also talked of the new for greater flexibility. He was quoted as saying expanding the fleet would aid the carrier with growth and flexibility.
The orders add to the sector's already record orderbook. The speculation continues on whether today’s confirmation is the first of a wave of new orders pending from Maersk.
