Samsung Heavy Industries, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding and Jiangnan Shipyard are set to split an Evergreen Marine order for a raft of 23,000-teu containerships in deals worth a total of $1.6bn.

South Korea's SHI will build six of the 10 ships, while the two Chinese state-owned shipbuilders will build two each.

Taiwanese container giant Evergreen, which said the newbuildings are part of its fleet-renewal programme, said the cost of the scrubber-fitted vessels was “between $140m and $160 each”.