CMA CGM to add 12 LNG-powered container ships to its fleet
French shipping group CMA CGM has ordered 12 LNG-powered container ships. The vessels will be built in the Chinese shipyards and will be equipped with dual-fuel engines from the Finnish technology group Wärtsilä. The first of the ordered ship will be launched in the third quarter of 2023.
At the end of 2021, CMA CGM placed two orders for 12 LNG-powered container vessels: six units with a carrying capacity of 13,000 TEU and six units for 15,000 TEU. The vessels, which will be built at the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding and Jiangnan Shipyard Group, will be equipped with the Wärtsilä dual-fuel gas engines. This is in line with the company’s policy dedicated to the decarbonisation of maritime operations.
“At CMA CGM we are committed to promoting sustainability in all our operations. The choice of dual-fuel gas vessels powered by LNG for our new ships is part of our commitment to building a zero-carbon future,” noted Xavier Leclercq, vice-president of CMA SHIPS.
Wärtsilä engines
Wärtsilä Corporation from Finland was chosen as a supplier of the technologies for the ordered LNG-powered vessels. The company will deliver five Wärtsilä 34DF dual-fuel auxiliary engines per vessel as well as its Nacos Platinum integrated control system, propulsion control system, STC-13 series Sewage Treatment Plants and Fuel Gas Supply System fitted with Wärtsilä’s Operational Performance Improvement and Monitoring (Operim) system. According to Wärtsilä, LNG eliminates almost all air pollutants such as sulphur oxides (Sox: -99 per cent) and nitrogen oxide (NOx: -92 per cent) and particulates (PM10: -91 per cent) and achieves the first step toward decarbonisation.