Paris - Increasing costs of fuel will mean that larger ships will become even more sought after in the future with economies of scale and cost reductions intensifying these key battlegrounds for vessel operators.

In its latest weekly report, Alphaliner highlights that the container shipping industry has shot through the 4m TEU mark, currently at 4.01m TEU in terms of ultra-large container ships (ULCS), comprising of 186 vessels of more than 18,000 TEU.

Growth of this fleet is expected to slow between now and 2028 when the next milestone of 5m . . .