Maersk orders eight container ships
Maersk has signed an order for eight new large container ships with New Times Shipbuilding in China as part of its fleet renewal programme. The vessels will be part of a new 18,600 teu series, all sharing the same technical specifications, and are scheduled for delivery between 2029 and 2030. The ships will be 366 metres long and 58.6 metres wide, making them more compact than the current maximum standard of 400 metres for container ships. This design choice reflects the need to ensure greater operational flexibility across the company’s current and future network. The newbuildings will be equipped with dual-fuel engines capable of running on conventional fuel as well as liquefied gas. With this order, Maersk’s orderbook rises to a total of 33 vessels, four of which are due for delivery by the end of 2026.
Suez traffic recovering
In 2025, shipping traffic through the Suez Canal recorded a decline of 3.4%, with 12,758 vessels transiting compared with 13,213 in 2024. Annual performance continued to be affected by the security crisis in the Red Sea, which since the end of 2023 had prompted many carriers to divert away from the route, although a gradual recovery in transits was observed in the final months of the year. Comparisons with earlier years nevertheless point to a structural contraction, with volumes down 51.7% compared with the 2023 record and 46.5% versus 2022. Tanker traffic showed a slight year-on-year increase of 0.7% to 4,991 vessels, but remained below pre-crisis levels, while other ship types fell by 6.0% to 7,767 transits. Total SCNT net tonnage reached 521.7 million tonnes, down 0.6% on 2024 and with much sharper reductions compared with 2023 and 2022. More encouraging signals came from the final quarter of 2025, when passages rose by 9.0% to 3,426 vessels and tonnage increased by 23.8%. In December alone, transits reached 1,138 units, up 13.1% year on year, confirming a recovery that remains partial but progressive for traffic through the Egyptian canal.
Hapag-Lloyd 2025 results
According to preliminary figures from Hapag-Lloyd, in 2025 group revenues reached USD 21.1 billion (EUR 18.6 billion), with EBITDA of USD 3.6 billion (EUR 3.2 billion) and EBIT of USD 1.1 billion (EUR 1.0 billion), placing results at the upper end of guidance but below the previous year’s level. Growth in global trade and the launch of the Gemini network supported an 8% increase in transported volumes to 13.5 million teu. Over the same period, the average freight rate fell by 8% year on year to USD 1,376 per teu. Results were weighed down by higher costs linked to vessel diversions via the Cape of Good Hope and by start-up expenses for the Gemini network. Cost savings associated with the new operating set-up began to emerge in the second half of 2025 and are expected to be fully visible in 2026. Non-cash one-off effects recorded in the fourth quarter had a positive impact on the accounts. The group will publish its audited 2025 annual report and outlook for the current financial year on 26 March 2026.
Diesel locomotives for TCDD
Turkish state-owned freight rail operator TCDD has ordered 35 six-axle Co’Co’ Euro4001 diesel locomotives from Stadler, intended for heavy freight services on non-electrified lines and routes with steep gradients. The locomotives are designed to operate in demanding conditions and will be built at Stadler’s Valencia plant, one of the group’s main industrial hubs, in cooperation with Stadler Service Türkiye, Aykal Group and Certifer Türkiye. The units will comply with Euro Stage V emissions standards and TSI technical specifications for interoperability, and will be equipped with safety systems including ETCS Level 2 and the Turkish national ATS system. The continued use of diesel traction remains necessary in Türkiye because around half of the rail network has yet to be electrified and many routes cross mountainous areas requiring high tractive power. At the same time, TCDD is expanding its electric fleet in line with the government’s objective of electrifying 90% of the network in the coming years. In this context, in May the operator received the first five E5000 electric locomotives out of a total of 95 units produced domestically by Türasaş, with full delivery expected by 2028.
New Yang Ming container ships
Yang Ming has announced the delivery of the YM Willpower, the first of five 15,500 teu LNG dual-fuel container ships ordered by the Taiwan-based carrier in 2023. The naming ceremony took place at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea, alongside that of the sister ship YM Worthiness. The two vessels are part of a new series designed for the use of alternative fuels and will be deployed on the Asia–Mediterranean route. The YM Willpower will enter service on the MD2 loop, calling at Busan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Kaohsiung, Shekou, Singapore, Tanger Med, Valencia, Barcelona, Genoa, La Spezia, Fos, Singapore and Busan. The YM Worthiness is scheduled for delivery in the second quarter of 2026. The new vessels form part of the company’s programmes aimed at achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
P&O strengthens in Northern Europe
P&O Ferries is strengthening its freight offering in the North Sea with the long-term charter of the ro-ro vessel Lismore, which joined the fleet in February 2026. The vessel, a sister ship to the Longstone, operates on the Zeebrugge–Tilbury route and increases capacity dedicated to unaccompanied traffic within the group’s Northern Europe network. The ship offers 4,076 lane metres of cargo space and can carry up to 290 freight units, enabling the absorption of additional volumes from freight forwarders, logistics operators and shippers. P&O Ferries expects the combined deployment of Lismore and Longstone to increase weekly route capacity to up to 9,000 lane metres. The service is primarily aimed at semi-trailer and unaccompanied unit traffic between the UK and continental Europe. The vessel is designed to accommodate a wide range of cargo types, including abnormal loads, self-propelled vehicles, trailers, lift units, machinery, frames and commercial vehicles. The capacity increase is intended to support the growth plans of customers active in the automotive, industrial, retail and project cargo sectors.
