Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC) has upsized a planned order for 18 LNG dual-fuelled panamax-sized container ships to a whopping 28 vessels split across three shipbuilders and priced at more than $3.4bn in total.

Brokers said MSC has signed letters of intent with Chinese shipbuilders New Times Shipbuilding and Qingdao Beihai Heavy Industry for a series of 8,000-teu container ships.