Taiwanese liner giant Evergreen Marine Corp has selected South Korea’s Samsung Heavy Industries and long-standing partner Imabari Shipbuilding of Japan to build 11 ultra-large containerships worth up to $1.76bn.
Brokers said SHI has landed the larger share of the contract, with six vessels to be contracted directly by Evergreen’s affiliate company Greencompass Marine.
Imabari has been tasked to build five units, which will be ordered by an owner — most likely its shipowning affiliate, Shoei Kisen — for term charter to Evergreen via its Hong Kong business arm.
One broker said terms have been agreed with both yards but that Shoei Kisen's position on the orders has yet to be clarified.
Evergreen is scheduled to take delivery of the vessels in 2022.
The 23,000-teu newbuildings are estimated to be based on a per-ship price of between $150m and $160m.
The liner company is opting to fit the big boxships with exhaust gas cleaning systems, otherwise known as scrubbers, giving a distinct body swerve to what some industry players saw as a trend-setting move by CMA CGM to opt for LNG-fuelling for its ultra-large boxship newbuildings.
TradeWinds first revealed details of Evergreen’s newbuilding intentions in June.
Last month, the liner company confirmed its plan to build and charter up to 11 containerships of 23,000 teu.
Shipping companies that had been vying for Evergreen’s newbuildings included John Fredriksen’s Ship Finance International, Japanese trading house Marubeni, Canada’s Seaspan and Costamare of Greece.
Shipbuilders Hyundai Heavy Industries, DSME, Japan Marine United, Singapore-listed Chinese yard Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, and Chinese state-owned players Jiangnan Shipyard and Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding had all competed for the business.
Industry observers said Evergreen’s strong relationship with SHI, where it already has a series of 11,000-teu boxships on order, helped the Koje-based shipyard scoop the newbuilding business.
The Taiwanese company also has a long-established relationship with Japanese trading house Marubeni and Shoei Kisen.
“It does not surprise us that some of the newbuildings will be ordered by Shoei and built at Imabari,” one shipbuilding player said.
Meanwhile, Evergreen is also keen to expand its fleet with feedership newbuildings. It has approached several shipyards in the Far East for a potential order for four 1,800-teu newbuildings to be delivered in 2021 and 2022.
The company plans to deploy the quartet for trading between Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. The names of the shipbuilders for these feeder containerships have yet to emerge.
According to Clarksons’ Shipping Intelligence Network, Evergreen has eight 11,000-teu containerships under construction at SHI, while Imabari is building a pair of 2,910-teu units.
Jiangnan is also constructing four 2,500-teu vessels for the liner company. It is slated to take delivery of them in 2020 and 2021.
