Marco Polo Highlights Ongoing Need For Container Investments

The need for container investments is constantly growing as the shipping industry multiplies its growth.  CMA CGM's Marco Polo, the world's largest container ship as of November 6, 2012, measured by capacity, can hold up to 10,000 fourteen-ton containers or 16,020 if they are not fully loaded.  This ship highlights the need for container investments as major companies in the shipping industry continue to make larger, more fuel-efficient ships.

Demand for a supply of shipping containers will grow substantially as the shipping industry continues its growth. Prior to the Marco Polo ship, Emma Maersk was largest container ship. Launched in 2006, the Emma Maersk container ship was the largest container ship at that time, holding upto 11,000 TEU.  Though the Marco Polo ship is larger than the Emma Maersk vessel, the Emma Maersk can still carry 1000 more containers at a 14 ton capacity. Nevertheless, records are expected to be broken in June 2013, as the Maersk Line will receive the first of it's Triple-E class ships; carrying 18,270 TEU.  This will be the first of a family of large container ships, in the Triple E class.

The name Triple E  originates from the class's three design principles: Economy of scale, Energy efficient and Environmentally improved. These massive container ships are expected to not only be the world's largest ships, but also the most efficient per TEU of cargo and a contributor to the rising demand for shipping containers, in many parts of the world. Although the new ships will not be able to use any port in the Americas or across the Panama Canal, they will be able to sail between Europe and Asia along the Suez Canal. Maersk already owns 100 ships on this route, but has plans to consolidate their company's share of the Europe-Asia trade, with the addition of its new Triple-E class ships.

Rest assured, the Marco Polo container ship is just a highlight of what the shipping industry will potentially offer. The launching of the Triple-E class' massive container ships, will spawn major growth in the demand for a constant supply of shipping containers and present a profitable opportunity for investors to invest in shipping containers; and then lease them to industry leaders and shipping giants. Not only will this approach contribute to global economic growth, it will also provide the investment community with a profitable low-risk investment opportunity.