Evergreen Marine confirms deal for 24 new methanol-fuel container ships

The tender, estimated at over US$5 billion (NT$155 billion), or around US$200 million (NT$6.2 billion) per vessel, will see 16 of the 16,000 TEU vessels constructed by Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea. The remaining eight vessels will be the responsibility of Japan’s Nihon Shipyard, which is a joint-venture company owned by the Japan Marine United Corporation and the Imabari Shipbuilding Company.

According to reports, all of the ships are expected to be delivered by the end of 2027, per reports. News of the deal was reported at the end of June, but Evergreen only confirmed details of the contract earlier this week, when Evergreen Marine made an official filing on the Taiwan Stock Exchange on July 11.

The new ships, which are capable of using methanol for fuel, are part of Evergreen’s commitment to reduce the carbon output of its massive fleet over the next decade. The ships will also help the corporation adhere to the decarbonization scheme recommended by the UN’s International Maritime Organization, which aims to reduce C02 emissions in the international transport industry by at least 40% by 2030. Reports indicate that with the new ships, based on the fleet’s total carrying capacity, will vault Evergreen Marine to the world’s fifth-largest ocean transport liner, overtaking Germany’s Hapag-Loyd.