Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has elevated its market share to 20% following an aggressive strategy of newbuildings and acquisitions, positioning its fleet just shy of 6 million TEUs. According to Alphaliner, MSC's fleet comprises 837 vessels totalling 5.98 million TEUs, with 539 of these being owned and accounting for nearly 3 million TEUs. This growth has enabled MSC to surpass Maersk Line, becoming the largest operator in the sector in 2022.
The acquisition of the 9,600 TEU MSC Nicole X, previously A.P. Moller, contributed significantly to approaching the 6 million TEU threshold. The vessel, originally an 8,200 TEU ship built in 2000, was expanded in 2011 during Maersk Line's Triple-E construction phase. MSC's fleet expansion milestones include reaching 1 million TEUs in 2007, doubling by 2011, achieving 3 million TEUs in 2017, and 4 million TEUs by mid-2021, eventually surpassing Maersk before 2022.
Despite scrapping seven older vessels totalling 14,000 TEUs in 2024, MSC's acquisition of 28 newbuildings adding 324,000 TEUs far outweighs its reductions. The dissolution of the 2M alliance with Maersk in January 2025 and the formation of the Gemini Cooperation between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd will see MSC continue as a formidable solo operator. With an order book of 99 vessels totalling 1.19 million TEUs, MSC's fleet is projected to reach 7.17 million TEUs, slightly surpassing the combined fleet size of Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd at 7.08 million TEUs.
Source: container-news.com