CMA CGM first 23,000 TEU LNG-powered boxship starts sea trials

Chinese shipyard Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group), a unit of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), saw CMA CGM’s first 23,000-TEU LNG-fueled boxship leave for sea trials. 

The super-large LNG-powered containership CMA CGM Jacques Saade has a total length of 400 meters, a width of 61.3 meters, a service speed of 22 knots, and a deadweight of nearly 220,000 tons, CSSC said in its statement.

The vessel features an 18,600-cbm fuel tank featuring GTT’s Mark III containment system.

The yard completed the preliminary reparation phase for the mooring test and other mooring trials to ensure the start of sea trials. CSSC noted the yard faced difficulties completing the preparations amidst the COVID-19 outbreak.

In 2017, CMA CGM’s chairman and CEO Rodolphe Saadé unveiled the company’s decision to order a series of nine 23,000-TEU containerships that would be the first-ever to be powered by liquefied natural gas.

These new vessels will join the group’s fleet in 2020 on the French Asia Line (Asia-Northern Europe).

Winterthur Gas & Diesel (WinGD) is supplying its 12-cylinder X92DF engines to power the nine LNG-fueled containerships.