COSCO has made a US$1.51 billion order for eleven 19,000-TEU ships from Chinese yards to be delivered in 2018, the company announced in a stock exchange filing, Reuters reports.

Cosco's order follows Hong Kong's Orient Overseas International Ltd (OOIL) $997.55 million order for six 21,100 TEU ships in April, and CMA CGM's March order of three 20,600-TEUers from Korean yards.

China Shipping Container Lines already operates a 19,100 TEU ship which was the largest in the world when it launched in November 2014, and has four more under order.

Cosco's orders were placed at yards owned by two Cosco subsidiaries, as well as two others owned by China State Shipbuilding Corporation and China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation.