Photo: Hummelhummel, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Alphaliner: smaller European feeder vessels could be set for “gradual extinction”

Data and analysis shared today by Alphaliner has revealed that European feeder vessels appear to be on a course towards a “gradual extinction".

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Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, Alphaliner said that there was still no large-scale renewal of the European feeder fleet in sight, adding:

“The European fleet of feeder vessels of 300-1,500 teu is ageing at a fast pace with very little newbuilding replacement on the way. There is particular concern in the sub-1,000 teu sizes, where the number of new orders is next to zero, apart from a handful of contracts placed for some specific niche routes.”

According to the shipping research tool provider, “continued disinterest by both Europe-based carriers and non operating owners” when it comes to these smaller ships “raises the spectre of a gradual extinction of smaller feeder vessels in Europe”.

Alphaliner states that at present, the European feeder fleet in the 300-1,500 teu size category consists of 465 vessels of 417,300 teu.

The average age of this fleet is just under 20 years. However, as Alphaliner stresses, there are “discrepancies based on the ship age, with generally the smaller ships being also the older ones”.

Typically, feeder vessels collect shipping containers from various ports before taking them to major container terminals where they are loaded onto much larger ships. They may also be used for short sea shipping routes in Europe.

The potential for a decline in the European feeder ship fleet could thus have a logistical knock-on effects, such as a decline in capacity on shorter routes.

In May of this year, when Alphaliner had previously commented on the diminishing supply of smaller ships, the company said that “carbon regulations tend to favour larger tonnage deployed on optimised rotations”.

However, Alphaliner added that “the current high demand for small vessels highlights the continued interest by carriers in this type of ship.”


Photo: Hummelhummel, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons