In December, overall 5.2m dwt worth $6.4bn were contracted, the highest monthly volume of orders placed since January 2012. On the other hand, contracts signed in the full year of 2012 totalled 34.4m dwt worth $80.8bn, which fell by 45% year-on-year in dwt terms.
277 bulkers were placed in 2012, fell by 53% on the previous year, marking the lowest level of bulker ordering since 2001, according to latest date from Clarkson.
In the boxship sector, 70 vessels were ordered last year, a decrease of 71% year-on-year, and recorded the second lowest number of containership contracts, apart from 18 orders in 2009.
On the other hand, the number of orders placed in the gas sector grew by 18% year-on-year to 86 vessels. LPG carrier orders more than doubled from those in 2011 to 51 vessels in 2012, while the number of LNG carriers contracted dropped by 30% y-o-y to 35 orders.
Amid oversupplied market and limited access to ship finance, overall $80.8bn was invested in the full 2012, declined by 21% on the previous year.
Investment in the offshore and gas segments marked $42.8bn and $9bn, accounting for 53% and 11% of total investment. Overall $7.2bn and $6.9bn were invested in the bulker and tanker segments, declined by 57% and 10% year-on-year each.
Meanwhile, newbuilding investment in the cruise sector went up by 47% y-o-y in 2012, worth $7bn (11 vessels) whilst $1.5bn was invested in pure car carriers, comparing with $300 invested in 2011.
The Clarkson Newbuilding Price Index, at the end of December 2012, posted 126.3 points, slightly grew from 125.9 points on the previous month. However, this represents 9.2% decline, the largest y-o-y reduction since 2009 when the index plunged by 22.3%.
Particularly, the boxship segment saw the biggest declines in benchmark newbuilding prices, by falling 18% on 2011. The benchmark LNG carrier newbuilding price set its lowest record since 2006, by posting $199.5m as of the end of last year.
Overall 152.2m dwt was delivered in 2012, representing 7% decline in dwt terms. Especially, a total of 97.7m dwt hit the water in the first half of 2012, the largest volume of tonnage to be delivered in any six month period, whilst the second half of the year saw a reduction in output, with 54.5m dwt entered the fleet.
Global orderbook stood at 4,603 vessels of a combined 259m dwt and 92.8m cgt, at the end of 2012, down by 29%, 34% and 26% year-on-year, respectively. The bulker orderbook plunged by 41% year-on-year in terms of dwt.
Meanwhile, 1,266 vessels of a cumulative 57.5m dwt with an average age of 27.6 years were demolished in 2012. This represents 35% increase in dwt terms. Bulkers topped in demolition volumes, with 60% shares.