TAIWANESE carrier Evergreen is finalising its latest round of ultra-large container ship orders.

The Taipei-listed company announced it will order 11 liquefied natural gas dual-fuel 24,000 teu ships worth a total of $2.9bn-$3.2bn from two shipyards.

South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean will build six of the vessels, while China’s Guangzhou Shipyard International will construct the remaining five.

Delivery dates were not disclosed, but given the current yard slot availability, they are expected no earlier than 2027.

Speculation about Evergreen’s plans to order a series of 24,000 teu boxships first emerged late last year.

However, initial reports suggested that these new ships would be methanol dual-fuel rather than LNG — a fuel considered a transitional option in terms of its green credentials but now seen as more practical regarding cost and supply chain availability.

Evergreen has around 30 methanol-powered vessels on order.

The world’s seventh-largest container shipping carrier operates a fleet approaching 1.8m teu, placing it just behind Ocean Network Express by less than 200,000 teu, according to Alphaliner.

This latest deal will boost Evergreen’s orderbook to 59 ships totalling over 820,000 teu, surpassing ONE’s 47 vessels around 610,000 teu on order.

Meanwhile, several other important carriers including CMA CGM, Yang Ming and Wan Hai Lines were also said to be in discussions with shipbuilders for fresh tonnage.

Lloyd’s List reported earlier that global combined containership orders could soon top 9m teu, or 30% of the existing fleet.