French shipping line CMA CGM has taken delivery of the world’s largest LNG-fuelled container vessel from China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), marking a new milestone for the LNG fuelling sector.
The giant CMA CGM Siene was built by CSSC’s Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding at its fabrication site in Pudong New Area, eastern Shanghai.
With capacity for 23,872 TEU, the ship is the first of four sister vessels to be delivered to CMA CGM as part of the contract with CSSC.
LNG commitment
The landmark delivery follows nine LNG-powered ships that CSSC built for CGA CGM at the start of the decade and is part of a large-scale investment programme by the shipping line to bolster LNG fuel in its fleet.
“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,” Rodolphe Saadé, CMA CGM Group CEO, said adding that the firm had made the ‘bold decision’ to focus its largest new vessels on LNG fuel in order to protect the environment.
The CMA CGM Seine measures almost 400 metres in length, and over 61 metres in width. It comprises plug slots for 2,200 refrigerated containers within its total capcity as well as the ability to carry 220,000 tonnes of cargo.
MARK III storage
LNG storage onboard is care of a 18,600-cubic-meter MARK III membrane LNG tank, providing 20,000 nautical miles of range from a single LNG refuelling.
Following completion of all tests and other preparations the vessel as deployed on a Far East-Europe route starting from mid-April.
Headquartered in Marseille, France, CMA CGM is the third largest container shipping company in the world.
