Ocean carriers are returning laid-up container ships to service at a faster pace to keep up with growing cargo volume, according to a new report. Carriers will have 40 additional vessels of over 3,500 20-foot equivalent units capacity by the end of April, Alphaliner said, including 15 drawn from the pool of ships that have been idled since the beginning of the global downturn. The remainder will consist of shipyard deliveries and vessels being freed up by their current charterers. Demand is increasing with the introduction of new services, capacity upgrades on a few “loops” and additional extra slow steaming, according to Alphaliner, the Paris-based consultancy.
