• Mediterranean Shipping Co is leaving its liner rival Maersk Line standing in one sector: ship recycling.
According to data from Alphaliner, MSC topped the shipbreaking league table by scrapping 21 containerships in 2012, comfortably ahead of second-placed United Arab Shipping Co with nine and third-ranked APL with five.
• Mediterranean Shipping Co is leaving its liner rival Maersk Line standing in one sector: ship recycling.
According to data from Alphaliner, MSC topped the shipbreaking league table by scrapping 21 containerships in 2012, comfortably ahead of second-placed United Arab Shipping Co with nine and third-ranked APL with five.
The average age of the 21 boxships that MSC sent to the breaker’s yard was 26 years, similar to the industry average, although it is not uncommon now for so-called teenagers to be dispatched on their final voyage.
Last year when a 13-year-old containership was sent for recycling it signalled that a new two-tier class of boxship was emerging, regardless of age, separating those that are fuel-efficient and have the best intake mix from those that do not have either of those qualities.
Meanwhile, MSC is likely to be busy again negotiating with the breakers’ yards given that it still has 36 units on its books that are more than 25 years old.
Elsewhere, Maersk Line is unlikely to figure in the scrapping league table as its owned fleet is much younger.
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