Major container carriers are lining up fresh orders for large dual-fuel containerships as part of fleet renewal programmes, reported London's Lloyd's List.

CMA CGM is expected to place new orders for vessels between 17,000 TEU and 24,000 TEU with Chinese and South Korean shipyards. The French line currently has 54 LNG dual-fuel ships on order, including owned and chartered tonnage.

The company is also set to become the first major carrier to build containerships in India, with at least three gas-fuelled feeder vessels planned from Cochin Shipyard. The move follows Indian government pledges to expand shipbuilding capacity.

Cochin Shipyard previously signed its first containership contract in 2023 with Samskip for two hydrogen-powered 500 TEU vessels. CMA CGM's Indian-built ships are expected to use a design based on HD Hyundai platforms.

CMA CGM has expanded its Indian operations, transferring three vessels to the Indian ship register and investing in terminals and logistics. It has also pledged to order new ships from US yards for its US-flag operations, though details remain pending.

Evergreen is reportedly planning orders for dual-fuel 15,000 TEU ships after completing delivery of 20 conventional-fuel vessels from Samsung. The Taiwanese line has 45 ships on order, totalling over 700,000 TEU.

Maersk is rumoured to be preparing an order for up to 12 LNG dual-fuel ships of at least 18,000 TEU. South Korea's HMM has signed letters of intent for 12 neopanamax LNG vessels, with eight to be built by HD Hyundai and four by Hanwha Ocean.

HMM also plans smaller ships for intra-Asia services, ranging from 1,900 TEU to 3,000 TEU.

The global containership orderbook has reached a record 10.5 million TEU, or 34 per cent of the active fleet, raising concerns about future overcapacity.

Despite geopolitical and trade uncertainties, carriers continue to invest heavily in newbuildings, arguing that most orders are for replacing ageing tonnage rather than expanding fleet size.