Evergreen Marine Corporation has confirmed a plan to build and charter up to 11 containerships of 23,000-teu in a deal worth up to $1.76bn.

The Taiwanese company said it intends to place an order worth between $725m to $960m for five or six 23,000-teu containerships.

The vessels, priced between $145 to $160m each, would be contracted by its affiliate company Greencompass Marine.

Separately, the company's Hong Kong division will charter four or five units of the same size in a deal worth between $598 to $799m.

No delivery date or yards are indicated.

But TradeWinds reported last week that Evergreen has shortlisted five to six shipowners in a tender that closed on 23 July.

Companies that have advanced in the contest include Japan’s Shoei Kisen Kaisha, John Fredriksen’s Ship Finance International, Japanese trading house Marubeni, Canada’s Seaspan and Costamare of Greece.

South Korea’s major shipbuilders — Hyundai Heavy Industries, Samsung Heavy Industries and DSME — are believed to be in the frame for the tender, as are Japan’s Imabari Shipbuilding and Japan Marine United.

Singapore-listed Yangzijiang Shipbuilding and two Chinese state-owned players — Jiangnan Shipyard and Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding — are also in the running for the project.

Evergreen’s close associate and previous partner Shoei Kisen is believed to be in the front running to be awarded some of the 23,000-teu newbuildings to be constructed at Imabari, its shipbuilding arm.

TradeWinds previously reported that Evergreen wants to take delivery of these mega-boxships in 2022, and the company is opting for scrubbers over dual-fuel or LNG-ready ships.

Alphaliner lists Evergreen as the seventh largest carrier with a fleet reaching 1.29m teu.

Its present orderbook stands at 361,000 teu, but the new 23,000-teu orders would bring it close to 500,000 teu.