Maersk Line to take delivery of 16 Triple-E vessels to 2015

Maersk Line improved its profit by USD 1 billion in 2013 and aims to grow in line with the market throughout 2014

In its outlook for 2014, Copenhagen-based Maersk Line, the container shipping company of the A.P. Moeller Maersk group, expects a result in line with 2013 (USD 1.5 billion). Although unit cost reductions will be less than in 2013, the Danish shipping line aims to improve its competitiveness. Global demand for seaborne container transportation is forecasted to increase by 4 to 5 per cent and Maersk Line aims to grow with the market. However, excess capacity is likely to further depress freight rates.

„We have reason to be pleased with profit development in 2013. The group reached USD 4 billion in underlying earnings; an increase of USD 1 billion from the previous year,“ says Group CEO Nils S. Andersen. “Maersk Line strengthened profitability despite challenging shipping markets,“ he adds.

In 2013 Maersk Line improved its profit by USD 1 billion, delivering a profit of USD 1.5 billion (USD 461 million in 2012). The improvement was driven by lower unit costs through the continuous focus on operational cost savings mainly from vessel network efficiencies, active capacity adjustments and improved vessel utilisation, and also supported by lower bunker price. Total cost per FFE (forty foot equivalent unit) decreased by 10.6 per cent to 2,731 USD/FFE, mainly driven by decreasing bunker consumption.

Revenue decreased by 3.4 per cent to USD 26.2 billion, negatively impacted by a decrease of 7.2 per cent in the average freight rate to 2,674 USD/FFE, which was partly offset by a volume increase of 4.1 per cent to about 8.8 million FFE. In line with strategy, Maersk Line maintained its market share for the full year with a volume increase of 4.1 per cent compared to 2012. Maersk Line’s fleet increased by 0.2 per cent to 2.6 million TEU total capacity, mainly by delivery of four Triple-E container vessels in 2013. The fleet consisted of 275 owned vessels (1.6 million TEU) and 299 chartered vessels (1 million TEU) by the end of 2013. An additional 16 Triple-E vessels with capacity of 288,000 TEU are scheduled for delivery during 2014-2015.

www.maerskline.com

Quelle: LogEastics
Portal: www.logistik-express.com