CMA CGM’s newest methanol dual-fuel boxship christened in South Korea

France-based maritime transport heavyweight CMA CGM has held a naming ceremony for its brand-new dual-fuel container vessel powered by methanol.

According to the company’s social media post, the 13,000 TEU vessel was formally christened CMA CGM Helium at a yard in South Korea. The newbuilding—which is part of a 12-unit strong order—was constructed by South Korean titan HD Hyundai Samho.

As informed, the boxship, flying under the Maltese flag, boasts an overall length of 335 meters and a beam of 51 meters.

Officials from the Marseille-headquartered shipping player have disclosed that CMA CGM Helium has already been deployed on the company’s Phoenician Express (BEX2) service that links China, Korea, Singapore, Egypt, Lebanon, Slovenia, Italy, Croatia, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia.

The inaugural unit of the containership series that CMA CGM had booked at HD Hyundai in February 2023 in a deal worth KRW 2.52 trillion ($2 billion), named CMA CGM Iron, was welcomed in March this year.

The vessel, which is reportedly the ‘first-ever’ methanol dual unit to be added to the company’s roster, made its maiden call at the Port of Singapore on March 4. It was deployed on CMA CGM’s CIMEX1 service, connecting Asia to the Middle East Gulf region.

In mid-May, CMA CGM took delivery of the next unit from the series, christened CMA CGM Argon. As previously reported, the rest of the vessels (all of which will feature approximately the same length and width) are due to be handed over by the South Korean vessel construction titan throughout the rest of 2025 and during 2026.

They are to be named as CMA CGM Cobalt, Platinum, Mercury, Krypton, Thorium, Osmium, Silver, Copper and Gold.

Together with Denmark’s AP Moller-Maersk and Switzerland’s Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), CMA CGM is considered to be one of the world’s largest maritime transportation players, particularly in the segment of container shipping. The company is believed to operate more than 650 vessels at the moment, representing a combined capacity of 23.6 million TEUs.

In addition to its interest in methanol, which has been seen by many as one of the most viable paths toward net zero along with ammonia, CMA CGM has remained steady with orders for vessels powered by the most popular alternative fuel of them all, namely, liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Most recently, the company booked up to 10 LNG dual-fuel boxships at Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company (DSIC), a state-owned enterprise and a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). The 22,000 TEU units are expected to be handed over between 2027 and 2029.