French shipping company CMA CGM decided to equip nine of its newbuild 22,000 TEU containerships with engines running on liquefied natural gas (LNG).
CMA CGM said in its statement that the vessels are scheduled for delivery in 2020.
Although the containerships will be LNG-fueled a few percent of marine gas oil will only be used for the ignition in the combustion chamber.
The decision comes with a view towards the current and future regulations that limit the sulphur cap to 0.5 percent in 2020, CMA CGA said.
The company has already reduced its CO2 emissions per container transported per kilometer by 50 percent between 2005 and 2015, and has set up a plan to further reduce its CO2 emissions by 30 percent between 2015 and 2025.