CMA CGM strengthens LNG-powered fleet with latest newbuild

French shipping colossal CMA CGM has marked the delivery of its newest container vessel powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) as complete.

As disclosed in a social media post, the CMA CGM Syracuse’s formal entrance to the Marseille-based maritime transport company’s fleet was officiated in South Korea on October 16. The ceremony was reportedly held at an HD Hyundai Samho yard.

The vessel, which will be sailing under the French flag, boasts an overall length of 272 meters and a beam of 43 meters. According to CMA CGM, the 8,048 TEU containership is planned to operate on the Pearl River Express (PEARL) service that connects Asia and the United States’ West Coast.

CMA CGM is considered to be one of the largest shipping players in the world, especially in the container segment. As informed, the company operates over 650 ships at present, which represents a total capacity of what is estimated to be 23.6 million TEUs.

In terms of its future-oriented strategy, as environmental guidelines and regulations become more stringent, CMA CGM has expressed increased attention toward eco-friendly solutions, with alternative fuels acting as the top choice. In particular, CMA CGM has set its sights on liquefied natural gas the most.

To remind, one of the most recent units that the company took delivery of was the LNG-fueled CMA CGM Saint Germain. The 399-meter-long and 61.3-meter-wide 24,000 TEU boxship was constructed by China’s Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding and handed over to CMA CGM in June.

The newbuild’s sister vessel was delivered in April and was hailed as an ‘upgraded’ version of  “the world’s first” 23,000 TEU dual-fuel containership delivered by Hudong-Zhonghua in September 2020.

This year, CMA CGM has placed several orders for LNG-powered vessels at different shipbuilding companies. As previously reported, in March this year, the French player splashed a whopping $2.6 billion for twelve dual-fuel LNG units, which are set to be built by Jiangnan Shipyard, an arm of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC).

This was followed by a September order for up to ten 22,000 TEU ships that are due to be constructed by CSSC’s Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company (DSIC) and handed over between 2027 and 2029. Most recently, namely at the beginning of October, CMA CGM inked a letter of intent (LoI) for six LNG-powered container vessels, which are to be built at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) in India.