Shipyards are due to deliver 278 container ships of 1.42 million 20-foot equivalent units capacity in 2010 following record deliveries in the third quarter, a leading analyst forecast. Deliveries this year have already reached 1.29 million TEUs -- including 468,000 TEUs in the third quarter -- substantially above the 1.07 million TEUs delivered in 2009, according to Paris-based Alphaliner.
This is the second highest annual increase in capacity terms since the 1.57 million TEUs delivered in 2008.
While the number of ships due for delivery this year is close to the 268 vessels that joined the world fleet in 2009, the average size of this year's ships has increased to 5,150 TEUs from 3,990 TEUs.
An additional 1.4 million TEUs is scheduled for delivery in 2011, a high capacity growth rate that "remains one of the key concerns for the industry," according to Alphaliner.
The world fleet will grow by 9.5 percent to total 14.3 million TEUs by the end of 2010 and will increase by a further 9.1 percent next year, net of scrapping and deletions.
Around 180,000 TEUs will be removed from the world fleet this year through scrapping and the conversion of cellular box ships to other vessel types.
A record number of orders has been deferred or delayed over the past two years due to the global financial crisis, according to Alphaliner figures.
About 100 vessels totaling 530,000 TEUs delivered in 2010 were initially planned for delivery in 2009, while around 65 ships of 435,000 TEUs initially planned for 2010 have been deferred or delayed to 2011 and beyond.
This is the second highest annual increase in capacity terms since the 1.57 million TEUs delivered in 2008.
While the number of ships due for delivery this year is close to the 268 vessels that joined the world fleet in 2009, the average size of this year's ships has increased to 5,150 TEUs from 3,990 TEUs.
An additional 1.4 million TEUs is scheduled for delivery in 2011, a high capacity growth rate that "remains one of the key concerns for the industry," according to Alphaliner.
The world fleet will grow by 9.5 percent to total 14.3 million TEUs by the end of 2010 and will increase by a further 9.1 percent next year, net of scrapping and deletions.
Around 180,000 TEUs will be removed from the world fleet this year through scrapping and the conversion of cellular box ships to other vessel types.
A record number of orders has been deferred or delayed over the past two years due to the global financial crisis, according to Alphaliner figures.
About 100 vessels totaling 530,000 TEUs delivered in 2010 were initially planned for delivery in 2009, while around 65 ships of 435,000 TEUs initially planned for 2010 have been deferred or delayed to 2011 and beyond.