Greek-owned cargo ships raise capacity by 15% in 2006
Greek-controlled ships' cargo-carrying capacity rose 15 per cent over the past year, bolstering the country's ranking as the biggest ship-operating nation.
The ships' total capacity rose to 218.2 million deadweight tons on Feb 16, from 190.1 million deadweight tons at the end of March last year, the London-based Greek Shipping Cooperation Committee, or GSCC, said in an e-mailed statement yesterday. Deadweight tons are a measure of a ship's capacity for carrying cargo, fuel and supplies.
The number of Greek-controlled ships, including 612 vessels on order, climbed 9 per cent to 3,699 vessels from 3,397 in March last year, the GSCC said, citing data provided to the organisation by Lloyd's Register-Fairplay.
Greek shipowners now control 16.5 per cent of the world's fleet by deadweight capacity and 8.5 per cent by number of vessels, compared with 16.1 per cent and 8.4 per cent a year ago, the statement said.
The number of crude-oil carrying vessels increased 11 per cent over the last year to 595 tankers, raising the combined capacity by about 18 per cent to 82.7 million deadweight tons. Greek-owned tankers now account for about 22 per cent of the world's tanker fleet by capacity, the GSCC said.
Ships carrying refined-oil and chemical products climbed 28 per cent to 591 vessels, adding 36 per cent to overall capacity. The number of ships carrying dry-bulk commodities such as iron ore rose 5 per cent to 1,469 vessels, increasing capacity by 11 per cent.
Greek shipowners placed a record US$14.3 billion of orders in 2006 as they expanded their fleets to tap rising demand for oil and other raw materials.
The ships' total capacity rose to 218.2 million deadweight tons on Feb 16, from 190.1 million deadweight tons at the end of March last year, the London-based Greek Shipping Cooperation Committee, or GSCC, said in an e-mailed statement yesterday. Deadweight tons are a measure of a ship's capacity for carrying cargo, fuel and supplies.
The number of Greek-controlled ships, including 612 vessels on order, climbed 9 per cent to 3,699 vessels from 3,397 in March last year, the GSCC said, citing data provided to the organisation by Lloyd's Register-Fairplay.
Greek shipowners now control 16.5 per cent of the world's fleet by deadweight capacity and 8.5 per cent by number of vessels, compared with 16.1 per cent and 8.4 per cent a year ago, the statement said.
The number of crude-oil carrying vessels increased 11 per cent over the last year to 595 tankers, raising the combined capacity by about 18 per cent to 82.7 million deadweight tons. Greek-owned tankers now account for about 22 per cent of the world's tanker fleet by capacity, the GSCC said.
Ships carrying refined-oil and chemical products climbed 28 per cent to 591 vessels, adding 36 per cent to overall capacity. The number of ships carrying dry-bulk commodities such as iron ore rose 5 per cent to 1,469 vessels, increasing capacity by 11 per cent.
Greek shipowners placed a record US$14.3 billion of orders in 2006 as they expanded their fleets to tap rising demand for oil and other raw materials.
