GL-Classed Fleet Grows 8%

The total fleet of merchant ships classed with Germanischer Lloyd (GL) increased by 8 per cent in 2003, to 44.1 million gross tons (gt). To assist with the growing workload, the classification society boosted its workforce by almost 9 per cent, to 2,148 employees, during the year.

The fleet growth rate matches the figure the classification society had planned to achieve at the start of 2003 and marks another strong year of expansion for GL. Over the last seven years the society has achieved an average annual growth in its classed fleet of 10 per cent per annum in tonnage terms. This is the highest rate of all the members of the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) over the period.

Order level of 13.3 million gt

A total of 263 new ships of 3.5 million gt built to GL class were delivered in 2003. Furthermore, the volume of new tonnage to GL class ordered in 2003 was 7.3 million gt 2.5 times the previous year's figure - pushing the GL orderbook up to a then record high level of 10.3 million gt at the start of 2004. The order boom has continued into the new year. In January and February 2004, GL received classification orders for a further 107 seagoing ships totalling 3.1 million gt. The orderbook as of March 1, 2004 comprised 699 seagoing ships totalling 13.3 million gt, a new record. Of the 699 vessels, 330 are container ships, the ship type constituting the largest share of the tonnage on order, with 11.7 million gt.