ports

Container Lines Deploy Mega-Ships on European Routes in Capacity Push

Container carriers are shifting larger vessels onto intra-Europe services to improve economies of scale. Vessels exceeding 8,000 teu in the Mediterranean increased to 16 from nine, a 78% year-over-year rise, despite the region's average vessel size remaining at 1,870 teu. MSC dominates the trend, operating nine of the 16 larger ships. The 9,962 teu Maersk Sirac now holds the title of largest intra-European vessel, displacing MSC Aby (9,640 teu). Fourteen of the 16 mega-ships serve North Europe-Mediterranean routes where longer voyages justify larger tonnage. Maersk's upcoming Egypt-Turkey E8 service will deploy the Sirac and 8,850 teu Le Bu, becoming the largest intra-Mediterranean shuttle by weekly capacity and exceeding CMA CGM's Black Sea-Morocco offering (4,300-4,600 teu vessels).