CMA CGM’s nine 20,000 TEU box ships to be LNG fueled

18,000 cu.m LNG fuel tanks will be in fore part of ship

NOVEMBER 7, 2017 – Marseilles, France, headquartered CGM marked the opening of the 2017 UN Climate Change Conference (COP 23) to announce that it will equip its recently ordered next generation of nine 22,000 TEU containerships with engines fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG).

“We have made the bold decision to equip our future 22,000 TEUs vessels with a technology firmly focused on the protection of the environment,” said Rodolphe Saadé, CMA CGM Group CEO. “By choosing LNG, CMA CGM confirms its ambition to be a leading force in the industry in environmental protection by being a pioneer in innovative and eco-responsible technologies.”

CMA CGM says that the use of LNG in vessels of this size is “a real technological breakthrough” that will yield significant benefits compared to heavy fuel oil:

• up to 25% less CO2
• 99% less sulphur emissions
• 99% less fine particles
• 85% less NOx emissions

The ships’ Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) will be improved by 20% compared to ships propelled by fuel oil.

In a clue to which type of LNG fueled engine the ships will have, CMA CGM says that “a few percent of marine gas oil will only be used for the ignition in the combustion chamber.”

By choosing LNG as fuel, the CMA CGM Group says it is going beyond current and future regulations that limit fuel sulfur content to 0.5% in 2020 and is also “fully in line with the Paris Agreement and the ongoing discussions at the international level.”

To be built by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) at two shipyards, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding and Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, the ships will have a length overall of 400m and a beam of 61.30 m. Reefer capacity will be 2,200 FEU. They are set for delivery in 2020.

CMA CGM says that, in terms of architecture, the LNG-powered ships will not be different from today’s containerships. LNG tanks, with a capacity of 18,000 cu.m, will be located under the front arrangements and the upper deck will be used as the LNG management and control center.

The company say it is working with multiple partners to create new supply chains that will be safe, first of all, and efficient.

“Safety on the ground and onboard our ships is the first priority for the CMA CGM Group,” says a spokesman. “We are assessing various bunkering options like for example an LNG bunker barge able to supply the 18,000 cu.m fuel tanks on our containerships.”