Maersk has signed a contract with New Times Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. for the construction of eight large container vessels, the company announced on 9 February. The ships are scheduled for delivery in 2029 and 2030.
All eight vessels will form part of a new series with a nominal capacity of 18,600 TEU. According to Maersk, the ships will be 366 metres long and 58.6 metres wide, making them smaller than the current maximum container ship length of around 400 metres.
Maersk said the vessels are intended to offer greater deployment flexibility than the largest container ships currently entering service. Despite their size, the company considers the dimensions more adaptable for operation across different trade lanes within its existing and future network.
The ships will be fitted with dual-fuel engines, allowing them to operate on conventional marine fuel or liquefied gas. No further details were provided on the fuel type or expected emissions performance in this announcement.
Following this order, Maersk has a total of 33 vessels on order. Four of these are scheduled for delivery during the remainder of 2026.
