Oh no, not again. The world’s container shipping lines appear to be fast steaming towards another round of tonnage trouble.
The container market is improving every month and as the peak season approaches, we can’t help wondering which carrier will be the first to break ranks on slow steaming.
With so much idle capacity and arriving newbuilds, container lines will be fighting over each other to deploy ships in areas where business is good.
Less than a year ago, shallow draft meant only feeder vessels could serve Vietnam’s busy southern ports, but nothing stands still in Asia for long.
The technology is there, costs are high and then there are the logistics of the systems.
Note : Photo courtesy of Hamworthy
Lloyd’s Register’s recently announced a research program into nuclear propulsion of ships. After the 1960’s Savannah and Otto Hahn there were only two more commercial ships produced with nuclear propulsion: there were also nuclear ice breakers built by the Soviet Union. Opposition to nuclear power in the light of the problem of greenhouse gases is changing opinions. Nuclear propulsion technology has continued to develop but the high initial cost has to be paid up front. Radioactive waste is an unresolved problem, yet there are few problems man is unable to solve when the necessity is strong. The greatest nuclear benefit is in zero exhaust emissions.
For many years we saw the operating speeds of ships, especially container ships go up and up with speeds of 26 kts not uncommon. Dropping the speed to a slower speed has become an attractive option: as journey times double, ships presently laid up will be needed. For time sensitive cargoes there is a premium express service. Will this mean two tier ship classes in the future?
The fires of globalization are stoked by raw materials, not Hello Kitty bags, Barbie dolls and die-cast Ferraris.
Container feeder service on the Indian coast to get a big boost following the commissioning of the D. P. World container terminal in South India
At a time when most container line executives feel like running for the exits, a new shipping company is preparing to enter the business.