Evergreen goes for 9,000-TEU-class newbuildings

The Taiwanese Evergreen Group has decided to have the loading capacity of its next-generation B-type containerships upgraded to more than 9,000 TEUs instead of 8,000 TEUs as earlier planned. An Evergreen official said that the decision is primarily aimed at enhancing investment efficiency. Initially, 20 B-type newbuildings will be ordered for delivery at the earliest date after 2008 and the company has entered into technical and price negotiations with Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), South Korea’s Samsung Heavy Industries and Taiwan’s China Shipbuilding Corp. (CSBC).

Evergreen Chairman Chang Yung-Fa had earlier said that the group will order 20 7,000-TEU S-type ships and 30 8,000-TEU B-type ships for delivery after the autumn of 2008. Of these ships, Evergreen has now decided to expand the capacity of the B-type to more than 9,000 TEUs.