CMA CGM receives first ship in series of 10 LNG-fuelled container ships

French shipping giant CMA CGM on Thursday (15 February) said it has taken delivery of CMA CGM MERMAID, the first ship in a series of 10 new 2,000 TEU container ships powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), which will be progressively deployed in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.

These new container ships, with an original design aimed at improving their energy efficiency and environmental performance, will join the CMA CGM fleet of around 620 vessels, including more than 30 already powered by alternative energies. These ships will emit up to -20% CO2 compared to a similar-sized ship with a conventional maritime fuel design (very low sulphur oil).

When cooled to -161°C, LNG bunker fuel powers a 12-megawatt MAN engine. These dual-fuel ships can also carry biogas (-67% eq. CO2) produced from bio-waste and are convertible to e-methane (-85% eq. CO2) produced from decarbonised hydrogen.

The latest innovation in this new generation of container ships is one of the most powerful fuel cells aboard a ship. It is on track to be mounted on the last of the series which is scheduled for delivery in January 2025. As the fuel cell is powered by hydrogen with an energy capacity of 1MW, this ship will have zero emissions when berthed.

The latest delivery is part of CMA CGM’s fleet renewal program, in which the Group has invested more than USD 15 billion. It brings the Group one step closer to meeting its objective of Net Zero Carbon by 2050. By 2028, nearly 120 ships will be powered by low-carbon energies.

A new generation of container ships, the result of cooperation between industry players. These ships, with a different line and architecture from conventional container ships, were designed in close collaboration with Chantiers de l’Atlantique, a French company located in Saint-Nazaire and globally recognized for its ship design and construction expertise.

The Danish engineering firm Odense Marine Technique (OMT) further converted the concept into an industrial prototype. CMA CGM entrusted the construction of the ships to Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD), located in South Korea. 

Finally, GTT, a French company and expert in technologies for the maritime transport and storage of liquefied natural gas, worked closely on the project for the design and conception of the gas chain and storage tank with total capacity of 1,053 m3.

“This close collaboration between the shipowner, engineering firm, equipment supplier, and world-renowned manufacturer has provided a concrete response to the need for innovation in naval architecture and has given rise to a new model of container ship, with profoundly renewed profile and technical characteristics,” CMA CGM added.

Delivered progressively between February 2024 and January 2025, the ten new vessels will transport goods over short distances, mainly in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean.

Between April and July, six of the series will join the Intra-Northern-Europe line to serve the Baltic and Scandinavian ports from the hubs of Hamburg and Bremerhaven. Four other ships will join the Intra-Mediterranean line between the end of September and the end of November.

The CMA CGM MERMAID will embark on its voyage to Northern Europe from Busan in South Korea.

Photo credit: CMA CGM
Published: 16 February, 2024