DANISH shipping giant Maersk Line has deployed its first 2nd generation Triple-E container vessel, the 20,568 TEU Madrid Maersk, in its Asia-Europe service network calling the port of Tianjin in China at the end of last month.

Madrid Maersk is the first in a series of eleven 2nd generation Triple-E vessels and is also the first of the 27 vessels Maersk Line ordered in 2015 to enter service. Maersk Line will take delivery of the vessels until end of 2018 and they will replace older and less efficient tonnage, the world's largest container shipping line said.

Maersk Line has not taken delivery of own new-buildings since July 2015.

Maersk Line's remaining order book consists of ten 2nd generation Triple-E vessels, nine 15,226 TEU and seven 3,596 TEU container vessels. The order book corresponds to 11 per cent of Maersk Line's current fleet - a relatively small order book when compared to the industry's order book of around 15 per cent.

To stay competitive and achieve lowest cost, Maersk Line will continue to manage fleet capacity tightly with a relatively high number of vessels on short term charters. This gives Maersk Line the flexibility to adjust fleet capacity when new vessels come on stream. Maersk Line is also recycling old and more inefficient vessels. In the first quarter of 2017, Maersk Line recycled seven Panamax vessels, the company said.