Vol. 114 - No. 105 - June 3, 2010

Extra-slow steaming of containerships has become so popular is has absorbed 4.1 percent of the world containership capacity, said information service Alphaliner.

In its latest newsletter, Alphaliner said about 100 ships are "extra-slow steaming," where they operate at speeds of 17 to 19 knots as opposed to what it calls "normal" slow steaming where ships travel at 20 to 22 knots. It said about 554,000 TEUs of capacity have been absorbed by extra-slow steaming and forecasts that will reach 580,000 TEUs by the beginning of July.

Slower steaming has "become the norm on the Asia/Europe and transpacific routes, where 78 percent and 53 percent, respectively, of all strings are now running in slow steaming mode," Alphaliner said.