The CMA CGM Group has taken delivery of the CMA CGM Vasco de Gama from the Chinese shipyard China State Shipbuilding Corporation.
The Vasco de Gama, which measures 399 metres long and 54 metres wide, has a capacity of 18,000 TEUs and is CMA CGM’s largest container ship.
The vessel will sail under the UK flag and will be deployed on CMA CGM’s French Asia Line, which connects Europe to Asia and calls at 11 countries.
The Vasco de Gama is expected to have 10% lower CO2 emissions compared to previous-generation vessels, according to CMA CGM.
The ship is named after Vasco de Gama, the Portuguese explorer who discovered the India route in the 16th century by sailing around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa.
This is the first time that a Chinese shipyard has built an 18,000 TEU container ship. The CSSC is also building the CMA CGM Zheng He and the CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin, both of the 18,000 TEU series and which will be delivered in September and November respectively, according to CMA CGM.
