Maersk planning ultra large ship

Maersk is poised to tighten its stranglehold on container shipping with a new generation of container ships able to carry up to 15,000 TEUs, according to Paris broker Barry Rogliano Salles.

The first of this revolutionary series, probably a shortened version, will be delivered in early 2006, giving Maersk a lead time of at least four years over any other line, the broker said. BRS-Alphaliner, the research arm of the French shipbroker, said in its latest weekly newsletter that the new ships under construction at AP Moeller-Maersk?s Odense shipyard in Denmark would be much wider than the current series of G-class vessels that can each carry 17 rows of containers across their decks and are thought to have a nominal capacity of around 9,100 TEUs.

The next generation may be as wide as 55m, providing space for as many as 22 rows. That would put their capacity at around 12,500 TEU, BRS-Alphaliner estimates. However, there is talk that they could be extended in length to 405m, bringing nominal capacity to a massive 15,000 TEUs.