Number of ships flying Danish flag set record in 2021

The number of ships flying the Danish flag has set a record in 2021 which means that the country moves up one place on the list of the flag states, Danish Shipping reported.

The trade and employer organisation for more than 90 shipowners and offshore companies said that 779 ships are now flying the Danish flag which is an increase of 2.6% since the turn of the year.

The results were obtained in a count conducted by Danish Shipping before the beginning of 2022.

Furthermore, the tonnage has increased from 22.34 million GT to 23.24 million GT which represents an increase of 4%. This means that Denmark as a flag state now holds 11th place in the world fleet when measured on gross tonnage.

Danish shipping explains that adherence to the flag can be an important factor when, for example, a global framework for shipping is to be negotiated in the UN’s maritime organization, IMO.

For instance, the shipping company Torm has registered 16 ships under the Danish flag during the last year.

“We consider pros and cons every time we register a ship. And our conclusion is that the Danish flag, Dannebrog can compete with other flags and therefore it’s attractive to us. When we choose a flag, we look at the financial and operational conditions and it also matters that we strengthen Denmark’s position as a shipping nation in an international context when future framework conditions are to be negotiated”, said Jacob Meldgaard, CEO of Torm and chairman of Danish Shipping.

“I never get tired of repeating the news that the Danish flag has progressed, and that’s also the case this year. The Danish flag signals quality and decent conditions, and since 2000 both the number of ships and tonnage flying the Danish flag has increased year by year”, stated Anne H. Steffensen, CEO of Danish Shipping.

“In our strategy, our stated goal has been that the Danish fleet should grow by 10% in both numbers of ships and gross tonnage within the strategy period. By New Year, the strategy period comes to an end and the goals have been more than achieved as the number of ships flying the Danish flag has increased by 14% and the tonnage by 43%”, Steffensen concludes.

Last year, Denmark ranked first on the annual list compiled by the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (Paris MoU). This showed that vessels operating under Danish flags were at the top when it comes to complying with safety, health and certification regulations of Paris MoU.

Earlier this week, Danish Shipping unveiled a new strategy for the next three years in an effort to accelerate the global green transition of shipping. With the new strategy named “Towards Zero”, the organisation wants to help make shipping climate-neutral as soon as possible and by 2050 at the latest.