Asian shipbuilders are among the players set to bid for Evergreen's 12 8,000TEU containership project, which forms part of its US$5 billion project to build 100 new ships.
Lead players in the bidding process, according to recent news reports, include Taiwan's CSBC, Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Korea's STX Offshore and Shipbuilding (O&S).
"Other Korean shipbuilding companies have also joined the tender but market players expect CSBC and STX O&S would split the first order," said an industry insider to Asiasis Daily News.
In fact, reports indicate that Korean shipbuilders are not bidding aggressively in order to avoid a 'low-price' order intake controversy. CSBC has already been rebuffed, having offered US$120 million per vessel, while STX O&S is said to be offering early delivery conditions and competitive newbuilding prices through its Chinese unit in Dalian.
Famous for demanding low newbuilding prices, Evergreen will also bid for itself with self-developed ship designs.