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Analysing world fleet in terms of vessel type, we can note the continuous
development in the tanker fleet adapted to the carriage of oil and petroleum
products, including specialised ships, i.e. chemical carriers.
Dry bulk carrier tonnage is also on the rise but multipurpose bulk carriers
show a minor drop in tonnage. Tankers and dry bulk carriers form the largest
group in terms of tonnage, constituting 77% of the global tonnage.
Also ships for carriage of unitised cargo are enjoying dynamic development,
particularly vessels specialising in the carriage of cellularised containers, i.e. container
vessels. The drive to reduce operational costs is one of the most important
incentives for owners to order bigger container vessels.
New developments in ship structure, carriage techniques and technologies
with continuous improvements in the process, are factors contributing to better
use of the available tonnage, the potential capacity use ratio. However, it should
be emphasized that the ratio depends on the given market conditions determined
by the size and structure of demand and supply. Thus, it does not provide
comprehensive grounds as to the use of shipping opportunities provided
in reality by the shipping potential (see Table 38).
17.3. Orders for new tonnage as a shipping trends indicator
A detailed study of orders for new constructions shows the trends for the next
3-4 years in terms of vessel size and structure.
The order book for new tonnage reached a record level of 178 million GT in
2005 and rose further to 235 million GT or 345 million DWT in 2006 6 .
South Korean shipyards rated first in terms of order book for new constructions.
The order book in Korean shipyards rose from 65.6 million GT in 2005 to
81.3 million GT in 2006. Japanese shipyards also noted considerable growth of
new orders – 54.2 million GT in 2005 and 62.3 million GT in 2006. The biggest order
book gain was experienced by Chinese shipyards from 30.6 million GT in
2005 to 48.7 million GT in 2006. West and East European countries’ order books
rose slightly from 22.1 million GT to 22.5 million GT in 2006 7 .
While analysing the order book structure according to vessel type, we must
note a significant increase in the number of tanker tonnage ordered; from 88.1
million DWT at the end of 2005 to 129.2 million DWT in 2006, whereas orders for
bulk carriers rose from 69.0 million DWT to 75.4 million DWT. Forecasts provide
for further growth in oil consumption, up to a level of 93.7 million barrels per
6 Shipping and Shipbuilding Markets 2007. Barry Rogliano Salles, p. 3.
7 Ibidem.
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