Shipowner Hapag-Lloyd is poised to ink a series of up to 12 ultra-large containership newbuildings at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering next month, which look set to be the first built with high manganese steel bunker tanks.

Newbuilding sources said Hapag-Lloyd is due to sign contracts with DSME in December after signing a letter of intent for six firm, dual-fuelled 23,000-teu boxships that will bunker LNG and a similar number of optional vessels.