SIMIC

"A total of 29 units will be scrubber-fitted but also made LNG-ready, whereas 34 units will be delivered as "LNG-capable", meaning that they will run on gas from day one. Lastly, 17 ships appear to be without any such modifications upon delivery," said the statement from the London-based shipowners association.

Said BIMCO chief analyst Peter Sand: "Many of the new ships on order will be scrubber-fitted."

Shipowners are experiencing a lack of tonnage, 619 containerships are now on order for future delivery. Of those, 381 have been ordered in 2021 alone. Never has 3.44 million TEU been ordered in such a short time, said BIMCO.

But BIMCO points out this is not a record for the total orderbook, as 6.8 million TEU were on order by the end of July 2008, compared to 5.3 million TEU by late August.

Said Mr Sand: "Entering 2021, the order book stood just at 2.5 million TEU. Since then, a record high 3.3 million TEU has been ordered, indicating that shipowners are going big on investing in new capacity.

"Size still matters, but it is no longer the only thing that matters. Your ships must be ready to fit emerging trade lanes, and many of the new ships on order will be scrubber-fitted," he said.

In February, March, April and June, a total of 60 ships with a capacity of 16,000 TEU each were ordered by just five different owners. Half of them were ordered by two Top-four tonnage providers and one minor, while the other half was ordered by operating liner companies.

"It is very much a sign of the times too; you go big, or you don't go at all. You order four, five or six ships, or as many as 20 units in one go and at one yard only. The buying power when you spend US$2.5 billion is significant," said Mr Sand.

No more than 22 ULCS were ordered during the first seven and half months of 2021. In February, 14 units of 24,000-24,100 TEU ships were ordered and in June, another eight units of 23,500-24,000 TEU followed.