French ocean carrier CMA CGM has placed an order for 10 new mega containerships, five of which are to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and five equipped with hybrid scrubbers.
The 10 ships of 15,000 twenty-four equivalent unit (TEU) capacity will be built by China’s state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corp. (CSSC), for delivery from 2021.
Rodolphe Saadé, chairman and chief executive officer of the CMA CGM group, signed the order March 25 with Lei Fanpei, chairman of CSSC, in the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Saadé declared: “Through this strategic partnership with the China State Shipbuilding Corporation, we once again opt for LNG propulsion and we reinforce our efforts to develop ever more efficient and environmentally-friendly vessels.”
The order, placed by industry analysts at more than US$1 billion, aims to support the shipping group’s growth and modernize its fleet, and confirms its commitment towards a more sustainable future.
Measuring 366 meters long, the newbuilds will be replacing 10 other vessels and will be used on the Asia-Mediterranean lines, the shipping liner said in a release.
They will be equipped with the latest technologies for the protection of the environment. Half of these vessels with be powered by LNG to allow for a significant reduction in CO2, sulfur, fine particles and nitrogen oxides emissions.
The five other vessels will be fitted with hybrid scrubbers, allowing for the elimination of sulfur and fine particles emissions.
In November 2017, the group announced an order for nine 22,000-TEU container ships powered by LNG, becoming the first shipping company in the world to choose this energy source for vessels of this size.
Moreover, CMA CGM’s 5,095-TEU “White Shark” successfully refueled on March 23 with sustainable marine biofuel oil in a trial at the Port of Rotterdam. The ship operator said the trial is being undertaken with IKEA Transport & Logistics Services, the GoodShipping Program and the Port of Rotterdam.
The sustainable marine biofuel oil was developed by GoodFuels. The second-generation biofuel oil is completely derived from forest residues and waste cooking oil products. It is expected to deliver an 80% to 90% well-to-propeller CO2 reduction versus fossil equivalents, and virtually eliminates sulfur oxide emissions without requiring any engine modifications.
The test, announced earlier this month, is seen to represent a major initiative to decarbonize ocean freight and demonstrate the scalability, sustainability and technical compliance of sustainable marine biofuel oil.
This will benefit all industry stakeholders in their environmental strategies, in line with the impending International Maritime Organization decarbonization pathway, according to the companies.
Photo: Bahnfrend
