Maersk Line Dismisses OECD Findings On Mega-ships

The company said that contrary to claims that mega-ships generate minimal cost savings, Maersk Line has been happy with its financials in that area.

Maersk Line has disputed a recent Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report which claims that mega-ships generate minimal cost savings, ShippingWatch reports.

The report argued that cost savings in this generation of ship size upgrades were four to six times smaller than previous increases, and would also lead to ports being unable to keep up with infrastructure upgrades. 

"The difference in savings on a twenty foot container on a new mega-vessel and an older 14,000 TEU container ship can reach up to USD 500 in our calculations, which is somewhat higher than at OECD," said Amdi Krogh, vice president for Head of Assets & Deployment at Maersk Line.

"So here, there is no doubt that the large ships provide real savings and are more cost efficient than older generations of vessels."

Krogh also reiterated previous predictions, which foresee container volumes to grow three to five percent over the next four years.

"We have clearly outlined a strategy aimed at growing at the pace of the market, and we will follow this strategy," he said. 

Though Krogh admitted that larger ship volumes will likely require upgrades at terminals and ports, he said that it was the "natural consequence" of the industry having to keep up with growing numbers. 

"At Maersk Line, we invest in the most efficient vessels and of course we are in continuous discussions with out terminal operators about what they need, but we don't put increased pressure on them."

Last month, it was reported that the industry is expecting Maersk Line to order up to eleven 20,000 TEU box ships for around $151 million apiece.