Ocean carriers could consider building post-Neo-Panamax (PNPX) container ships to fill the gap between 16,000 TEU and 24,000 TEU, according to Alphaliner’s report today (23 August).
PNPX ships, with optimised hull designs and advanced engines, could offer competitive slot costs vis-à-vis the ships in the 18,000-19,000 TEU range. Alphaliner said, “At the same time, ships of this size category will likely outperform modern Neo-Panamax designs, while being more flexible in terms of trades they can serve, than the latest 24,000 TEU giants.”
Neo-Panamax vessels were designed with the Panama Canal dimensions in mind. Originally, the canal allowed 19-row wide vessels to transit, but this was later increased to 20 rows. Today, the Neo-Panamax ships are 19 or 20 rows wide and have a length that still allows them to fit through the canal locks.
Presently, there are only 42 in-service ships that are smaller than 24,000 TEU but too big to cross the Panama Canal.
Only eleven of these ships, namely Maersk’s compact H-class vessels commissioned at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, are designed for medium-capacity routes that do not require them to cross the Panama Canal. The other 31 are all too long (and partly also too wide) for the canal and, at least by today’s standards, they have somewhat undesirable length versus breadth characteristics.
Maersk made a first move with the aforementioned H-class (2017- 2019) and the carrier has ordered 18 methanol-powered ‘Equinox’ class units for delivery from 2024 to 2026. These compact 350 m vessels will come in two sub-types: Hyundai will build a 21-row wide 16,200 TEU variant and a 22-row wide 17,000 TEU version.
The larger of the two designs will carry loads that come close to the nominal intakes of Maersk’s first-generation Triple-E which have a 20% larger footprint. Another carrier that is believed to have opted for modern PNPX ships is Evergreen Marine Corporation, whose latest series of orders for 24 methanol-powered 16,000 TEU ships will likely have a lower carbon footprint.
