In
2012 capesize deliveries numbered 213 ships while around 73 were scrapped,
the latest data from Clarkson Research shows.
Panamax
deliveries numbered 365 – i.e. one per day last year – while the total number
sent for scrap was around 125.
In
the handymax segment around 306 ships were handed over from yards, while 99 headed
for the beaches of the Indian subcontinent.
It
was only the handysize segment that saw anything near equilibrium with 260
ships scrapped and around 300 newbuildings delivered.
The
capesize fleet ended 2012 at just under 280mdwt with around 42mdwt delivered of
which almost 70% was handed over in the first six months.
“The
slightly lower volume of deliveries in 2012 compared to 2011, combined with
record demolition, contributed to the slowing of fleet growth from 19% to 12%
in 2012,” Clarkson said.
“While
growth is expected to slow further in 2013 to 7%, the combined effects of
several years of rapid fleet expansion are likely to continue to take their
toll on the market.”
According
to Clarkson the panamax fleet grew the fastest of all the bulker sectors during
2012, having expanded by 13%.
The
London-based shipbroker says by the start of 2013, the panamax fleet numbered
2,266 vessels of a combined 175.5mdwt.
“While
the peak delivery year for capesizes and handymaxes is likely to have been 2011,
the peak for panamax deliveries will either be 2012 or 2013, as a result of the
increase in contracting of Kamsarmaxes during 2010,” Clarkson said.
“Indeed,
in recent months, the panamax orderbook has become marginally larger than the capesize
orderbook in terms of tonnage, for the first time in over ten years.”
In
the handymax and handysize fleets growth has been more restrained with the respective
fleets some 10% and 2% larger at the start of the year.
Clarkson
said scrapping in both sectors had “increased significantly” last year with handymax
demolition more than doubling to 4.5mdwt, while for handysizes it rose by 66%
to 7.6mdwt.
“This
contributed significantly to the slowing of fleet growth in both sectors
compared to 2011, when fleet expansion in the Handymax and Handysize sectors reached
16% and 3% respectively,” the broker said.
“Looking
forward to 2013, fleet growth is expected to slow slightly in the handymax
sector to 8%, while handysize growth is likely to remain around 2%.”
