Evergreen Line has signed an agreement with CSBC Corporation, Taiwan to build ten 2,800 TEU class B-type vessels, with contracts signed by EMC Chairman Mr. Anchor Chang and CSBC Chairman Mr. Sun-Quae Lai.
The first ship is planned to be delivered during the second half of 2017 with the completion of the series due by the first half of 2018. The vessels are planned to be deployed in the intra-Asia trade.
Bronson Hsieh Second Vice Chairman at Evergreen Line, said: “After the negotiations of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) are concluded, the ASEAN countries, Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand are expected to remove trade barriers, enhancing bilateral trades and thereby boosting regional cargo growth.
“Our decision to invest in these new-buildings is aimed at providing for the growth potential brought about by this free trade development.”
Evergreen’s B-type vessels will be 211 meters in length, 32.8 meters wide, and have a design draft of 10 metres with a capacity of around 2,800 TEU. The ships are designed to load 13 rows of containers on deck, which is within the span of existing gantry cranes in the major ports of intra-Asian trade.
The hull design of the vessels is wider in comparison to ships of a similar capacity. Such design enables the ships to navigate in shallower ports encountered in the intra-Asia trade and to enhance their cargo carrying capability.
The ships are also to be equipped with an electronic-controlled fuel injection engine, which meets the IMO Tier II standards for NOx emission and can reduce the emissions by around 20%.