Clarksons 2024 Global Shipbuilding Review Released

Clarksons Research have released their latest annual review of shipbuilding markets, including full year 2024 data points, tracking key developments across a strong year for the shipbuilding industry.

Summarising the annual review, Steve Gordon, Global Head of Clarksons Research, commented: "With the largest order intake in 17 years, 2024 was an incredibly active year for the global shipbuilding industry with contracts totalling 66m CGT and $204bn placed. Container (4.4m TEU of orders), gas (25.9m cbm) and tankers (53.9m dwt) were the “stand out” segments while China consolidated its lead position, taking two thirds of orders, and is the only major producer expanding capacity."

Newbuild demand in 2024 was both strong overall and cross-sector in its focus. With a supportive freight market (driven by Red Sea re-routing) and underlying green fleet renewal commitments, liner companies were exceptionally active in committing to over $38bn of orders (72% of TEU ordered was from “liner”, 9 of the top 20 lines placing orders for >12,000 TEU ships). There was also a good flow of gas carrier orders (up 34%) with 77 large LNG carriers and 78 VLGC / VLAC / VLECs and tanker ordering also increased by 41% in dwt terms. Encouragingly for European