CMA CGM said it will be six 15,000-TEU containerships to service its US customers — in what will be the largest container vessels powered by LNG to call America.
Rodolphe Saadé, chairman and chief executive officer of the CMA CGM Group, said the move is part of the Group’s ongoing efforts to improve air quality and drive forward the energy transition of the shipping industry.
Six 15,000-TEU LNG-powered vessels to call the US
In his opening speech at the opening session of TPM, a conference for the trans-Pacific and global container shipping and logistics community, Saadé said the first of these new vessels will be delivered in October 2021, and all ships will be fully operational by the end of 2022.
The six 15,000-TEU vessels will be deployed on CMA CGM’s Pearl River Express (PRX) line, which sails from China to the Port of Los Angeles.
The CMA CGM Group is currently operating 12 LNG-powered containerships, a fleet that will grow to 32 containerships of various sizes by 2022. This technology is one of the first steps towards achieving CMA CGM Group’s ambitious 2050 objective of carbon neutrality.
Reducing environmental impact
"CMA CGM is sharing its energy transition solutions for shipping and providing its customers with effective solutions with these six 15,000-TEU LNG-powered vessels. American customers will be able to choose to transport their goods using LNG, a new technology that helps to preserve air quality by eliminating almost all atmospheric pollutants," Saadé said.
Recently, the Group also introduced ACT with CMA CGM+, a set of services designed to allow customers to analyze, reduce and offset their environmental impact.
In November 2017, Saadé ordered nine 23,000 TEU vessels with an LNG power supply, a first in the history of the shipping industry for vessels of this size.
LNG is currently the state-of-the-art industry solution for preserving air quality. It delivers a reduction of 99% in sulfur dioxide, 91% in particulate matter emissions and 92% in nitrogen oxide emissions, far surpassing the requirements of current regulations.
LNG also provides an initial response to the challenge of tackling climate change. An LNG-powered vessel emits up to 20% less CO2 than fuel-powered systems.
Moving toward a zero-carbon future
"Time is of the essence for addressing, now more than ever, the impact of climate change. The CMA CGM Group has always considered its business performance as intrinsically linked to its social and environmental performance. It is actively implementing measures to accelerate the industry’s energy transition and is significantly investing in research and development to design the clean vessels of the future," Saadé noted.
CMA CGM also continues to heavily invest in alternative solutions such as wind-assisted propulsion, hydrogen engines and green fuels.
In 2019, the Group became the world’s first shipping company to successfully test a biofuel comprising 20% recycled plant oil and forestry waste. It has pledged that alternative fuels will cover at least 10% of its consumption by 2023.
“The deployment of 6 LNG-powered containerships of 15,000-TEU will go along with the development of the US economy in a sustainable manner. It is a strong signal in favor of the environment. The United States is strategic for the economic exchanges and for CMA CGM: 2021 will definitely be marked by the strengthening of the ties that have already united us for a long time,” Saadé added.