Reports: Evergreen planning large ship order

Reports: Evergreen planning large ship order    Evergreen Group Founder Chang Yung-fa reportedly told a Taiwan newspaper over the weekend that the company may order 100 ships beginning as soon as next year.
   The report, which first appeared in the Sunday edition of Taipei’s
United Daily News, could not be immediately confirmed with the company.
   A report in Monday’s Lloyd’s List said Chang 'reaffirmed' plans to order about 100 vessels, but that the timing of the orders was still being evaluated.
   In January, there were reports Chang had 'hinted' during a meeting with employees that the carrier might order as many as 100 ships by 2012 to replace older ships, but the report was later denied.
   According to maritime news service Alphaliner, Evergreen is the fourth largest container carrier in the world and the only one among the top 23 with no ships currently on order. Alphaliner said the carrier has 157 ships, of which 90 are owned and 67 chartered, with a total of 576,727 TEUs of capacity.