Containership orders are set to rise in the coming months as many orders for ultra-large ships of 18,000-20,000 TEU are due to be signed amid forecasts the global fleet will this year grow 7.8 percent in terms of capacity, outpacing last year's increase of 6.3 percent.

The fleet consisted of 5,035 ships with a combined capacity of 18.37 million TEU on January 1, an increase of 1.1 million TEU from the previous year, one industry analyst said, reported Alphaliner data.

The projected increase in the fleet this year takes account of delayed deliveries of 120,000 TEU and the removal of 350,000 TEU through scrapping.

The world order book stands at 3.39 million TEU, or 18.4 percent of the current fleet, the lowest fleet-to-order ratio since 2000.

The 151 ships ordered in 2014 were worth US$10.2 billion, down 40 percent from the $16.8 billion bill for the 234 vessels contracted in 2013.

The idle fleet closed 2014 at 227,900 TEU, down 71 percent from the previous year, and averaged 381,000 TEU through the year, compared with 602,000 TEU in 2013.

The unemployment rate of the world container fleet edged up slightly in the first two weeks of 2015 to 239,500 TEU due to service withdrawals during the slack winter season, but it remains at its lowest level for January since 2009.