CMA CGM to register ten new 24,000 TEU LNG-powered boxships under French flag

French shipping giant CMA CGM on Tuesday (4 November) announced the entry into the fleet and registration under the French flag of ten Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) dual-fuel vessels, each with a capacity of 24,212 TEUs, among the largest and most energy-efficient in the world. 

By choosing France, CMA CGM said it is making a powerful statement in favour of French maritime and logistical sovereignty on the global stage.

Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the CMA CGM Group, said: “CMA CGM has decided to register ten new 24,000 TEU vessels, among the largest in the world, under the French flag starting next year. 

“Powered by liquefied natural gas, they reflect our confidence in France’s maritime sector and its people, with the recruitment of 135 French seafarers and a strengthened partnership with the French Maritime Academy (ENSM). 

“These vessels will serve two major French ports, Le Havre and Dunkirk, on the Asia–Northern Europe route, reinforcing our presence in France at a time when the sea plays an increasingly strategic role in global economic and geopolitical dynamics.”

These vessels, among the largest container ships in the world, will operate under French law in terms of safety and working conditions, thus upholding the excellence and influence of the French flag.

These LNG dual-fuel vessels are compatible with biomethane and e-methane, two low-carbon alternative fuels that reduce CO2 emissions by 67% and 85% respectively, while significantly cutting atmospheric pollutants, including sulfur oxides, fine particles, and nitrogen oxides. 

Thanks to their large capacity, which improves carbon intensity, these vessels concretely illustrate the CMA CGM Group’s commitment to more sustainable and responsible shipping.

Each will bear the name of an iconic French monument or landmark:

• CMA CGM NOTRE DAME, CMA CGM PANTHÉON, CMA CGM ORSAY,
• CMA CGM LUXEMBOURG, CMA CGM PONT NEUF, CMA CGM VERSAILLES,
• CMA CGM AUSTERLITZ, CMA CGM NATION, CMA CGM CLUNY et CMA CGM LONGCHAMP

Gradually delivered from 2026 onwards, the ten new vessels will be deployed on the Group’s flagship route, the French Asia Line (FAL 1), which connects Northern Europe to Asia, with regular calls at Le Havre and Dunkirk.

Photo credit: CMA CGM
Published: 5 November, 2025