World Maritime News
WMNF 21/01/2026
PSA International handles 105m teu globally in 2025
PSA International achieved a record global container throughput of 105 million TEU in 2025, a 5% increase from 2024 when it first exceeded 100 million TEU. The Singapore terminal handled 44.5 million TEU, up 8%, setting a new record and accounting for nearly all of Singapore’s throughput. Its overseas terminals processed 60.5 million TEU, a 2% rise. Chairman Peter Voser noted that despite geopolitical and economic challenges, the results were made possible through strong collaboration. PSA, which operates over 70 terminals in 45 countries, continues to expand capacity, including projects in Dammam and Mumbai.
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Containership continues to dominate alt fuel newbuildings
Orders for alternative‑fuel newbuildings dropped 47% in 2025, but DNV says this decline reflects the exceptionally high ordering levels in 2024 rather than a decline in confidence in decarbonization. Despite the slowdown, alternative‑fuel ships still accounted for 38% of gross tonnage, showing continued resilience. The pause of the Net‑Zero Framework is not expected to deter shipowners with clear decarbonization strategies; only companies in the “middle group” have temporarily delayed consideration of alternative fuels. Containerships dominate the alternative‑fuel orderbook, representing 68% of 2025 orders, driven mainly by cargo owners willing to pay green premiums. Container lines also have stronger finances than sectors like bulkers, where thin margins and unpredictable routes make alternative‑fuel adoption harder. Methanol stands out due to simpler bunkering requirements, and DNV notes that installing alt‑fuel or CO₂‑capture infrastructure at only a few major ports (e.g., Rotterdam and Singapore) would have a disproportionately large global impact.
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Maersk confirms routing of first mainline service via Suez Canal since 2023
Maersk has confirmed the rerouting of its MECL (Middle East–India to US East Coast) container service back through the Suez Canal, marking its first structural return to the Suez route since Red Sea disruptions began in November 2023. The decision follows successful test transits by Maersk Sebarok and Maersk Denver in December 2025 and January 2026. Routing via the Suez Canal will reduce voyage times by about 1 week compared with Cape of Good Hope diversions. The weekly service is exclusively operated by Maersk, using owned vessels ranging from 6,000 to 8,600 teu, including US‑flag ships carrying US government cargo. Despite the shift, Maersk emphasized that the service remains contingency‑dependent, with the option to revert to the Cape route if security conditions deteriorate. The first westbound sailing under the new structure is Cornelia Maersk, departing Jebel Ali on January 15, 2026, while the first eastbound trans‑Suez sailing was Maersk Detroit, which departed Charleston on January 10.
Read more: Lloyd’s List
Why the green methanol first movers are now looking at ethanol
Early adopters of green methanol in shipping, including Cargill and Maersk, are reassessing their decarbonization strategies amid high fuel costs, regulatory delays, and geopolitical factors that are weakening the near-term business case. While both companies maintain that early investments in methanol-capable vessels were strategically sound for flexibility, they are now exploring ethanol as a lower-cost, more widely available transitional fuel. Ethanol offers economic and political advantages, including supply diversification away from China. Methanol and ammonia orders are expected to slow, but flexible, dual-fuel ships remain central to long-term decarbonization plans as fuel markets and regulations evolve.
Read more: Lloyd’s List