A.P. Moller – Maersk has temporarily exceeded its self-imposed fleet capacity limit of 4.3 million TEU by chartering additional vessels in recent weeks, according to The Loadstar.
This move aims to mitigate operational disruptions, particularly those related to the Red Sea.
A Maersk spokesperson stated, “There is no change to the strategy, but there might be short term deviations from that range. Due to the situation related to the Red Sea disruptions, for instance, we’ve added capacity to mitigate impact on our customers’ cargo flows.”
In its alliance with Hapag-Lloyd, known as the Gemini Cooperation, Maersk has been working to narrow the capacity gap with competitors such as MSC and the Ocean Alliance networks. Despite Maersk’s recent vessel charters, the capacity gap with MSC continues to widen, with projections indicating it may exceed 2 million TEU within the next three months.
Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have indicated that they may increase their fleet within the Gemini Cooperation alliance if disruptions in the Red Sea persist. These disruptions, caused by attacks from Iran-aligned Houthi militants, have led shipping companies to reroute traffic away from the Suez Canal, opting for the longer route around Africa. The alliance, starting in February 2025, initially planned to use 290 vessels to transport 3.4 million containers annually. However, if the issues continue, the fleet might expand to 340 vessels to handle 3.7 million containers, aiming to ensure more frequent, flexible, and reliable services.
Recent charters include the 5,605 TEU vessel Herta, owned by Peter Döhle Schiffahrts-KG, and the 4,178 TEU vessel Wan Hai 521, owned by Wan Hai Lines. The Herta is deployed on Gemini’s South Korea-Tanjung Pelepas shuttle service.
Maersk’s head of asset strategy and strategic partnerships, Ahmed Hassan, previously stated that new vessel orders and charters, totaling 800,000 TEU, are intended for fleet renewal rather than capacity expansion. He emphasized that these additions would replace older vessels reaching the end of their operational life, maintaining the fleet size around 4.3 million TEU.