With 2012 now underway, it will be rather interesting to see how ship owners will play the "newbuilding ordering" card to their favor, as a glut of newbuilding deliveries has plagued almost every shipping sector, from dry bulk carriers to tankers and also containers. Still, during the second half of 2011, ship owners took a step back, as there was not only a decline in the number of new orders being placed but also in the firm enquiries and discussion being held with the yards.
According to the latest weekly report from Clarksons Hellas, "we have seen some reports of new business being concluded but for the most the market remains relatively quiet, with the yards having little time to gear up their marketing drives between the return of the West from its recently concluded holiday period and the upcoming Lunar New Year holidays in the Far East towards the end of this month.
Much of the news this week has centred about the announcements by the major Korean Yards of their targets for 2012. Most of the yards have set fairly firm yearly targets, with HHI (USD 23.8 Bln up 19% from 2011), Samsung (USD 12.6 Bln up 8.7% on 2011) and STX (USD 15.0 Bln up 17% on 2011) in particular leading the pack. With many of the more conventional sectors continuing to look relatively challenging for owners over the upcoming months, it remains likely, the yards will be looking to target the higher value sectors such as Offshore and the like. This seems to follow a similar pattern to the strategies of last year and it will be interesting to see given the successful ordering in 2011 in these sectors whether there is a similar level of demand to sustain these latest targets.
Whilst China was successful in winning a certain volume of business last year, due to the sheer size of structural capacity within China today there remain many yards that still have potential early berths within 2013. With demand likely to remain remaining limited in the short term and against this backdrop of excess supply, there may well have to be a continued adjustment in pricing in order for the yards to be able to push on and drive further ordering" said Clarksons Hellas.
In a separate report, Piraeus-based shipbroker Golden Destiny said that "some fresh activity has been revealed in the bulk carrier segment with newbuilding business still running on the low edge with shipyards finding difficulties to attract new business for 2012.
Overall, the week closed with 16 orders reported worldwide at a total deadweight of 979,298 tons, posting a 115.4 % increase since our last report of 23rd of December 2011. This week’s total newbuilding business is at lower levels of the week’s closing in 2011, when 42 orders had been reported with bulk carriers, tankers and special projects grasping 66%, 12% and 14% share respectively of the total ordering activity. In terms of invested capital, the total amount of money invested is estimated at region $1,5 bil with 81.25% of the total number of orders being reported at an undisclosed contract price. Notable ordering business has been in the bulkcarrier sector for a new design 209,000dwt vessel that will be 20% more fuel efficient than the existing designs and will feature advanced technology in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In the bulk carrier segment, Turkish player Densa Denizcilik has booked six handysize units of 36,383 dwt in Hyundai Vinashin of Vietnam at an undisclosed contract price with delivery in 2013. Chinese players also placed some new business for larger vessel sizes in domestic yards. In the kamsarmax segment, Hong Kong owner ordered two 82,000 dwt units in Taizhou Catic, while Da Tang Shipping ordered two 76,000 dwt units in Jiangnan Changxing for delivery in 2012. In the supramax segment, Marubeni Corp. of Japan placed two 58,000 dwt units in Dalian Cosco of China with delivery in 2013. Lastly Mitsui OSK Lines of Japan placed an order to compatriot Universal Shipbuilding for a new design of Capesize bulker, with the characteristics mentioned above.
In the tanker segment, Nippon Oil Tanker Corp. of Japan exercised an option for a second aframax shuttle tanker at $72,2 mil for delivery in December 2012 to transship crude oil from VLCC’s into Japanese ports, where vessel draft is too deep for vessel access. Furthermore, in the panamax /MR segment, Scorpio Tankers appears to havbe added one more 52,000 dwt unit in an order placed for five similar units earlier on May, at a price region $36,4 mil for delivery in January 2013. The sixth order includes an option for up to three more 52,000dwt newbuilding units. The first option, for a sister vessel priced at $36,4mil, must be exercised by mid-January. If that option is exercised, Scorpio will obtain a second option to order the remaining two newbuildings at $37,2 mil per unit.
In the offshore segment, Daewoo and Keppel Offshore and Marine of Singapore announced both of an order each for a semisubmersible drilling rig for a European and a Brazilian owner respectively" concluded Golden Destiny.