First CMA CGM LNG powered car-carrier calls at Port of Koper
In recent years, shipping companies have increasingly focused on reducing their environmental footprint, which is why the Port of Koper has been witnessing the arrival of more ships that do not rely on diesel fuel for propulsion. Today, at the car terminal, we welcomed the CMA CGM Indianapolis for the first time – the vessel is the first RO-RO ship from CMA CGM, a global player in sea, land, air, and logistics solutions. The ship, which operates between Asia, Northern Europe, and the Mediterranean, unloaded 4,200 cars on its maiden voyage to Koper.
The 200-meter-long and 38-meter-wide vessel can transport 7,000 cars across 12 decks and is the first of four sister ships that CMA CGM is adding to its fleet this year. The ship is powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), currently considered one of the most efficient options for reducing the negative environmental impact of maritime transport. In addition to lower greenhouse gas emissions, this propulsion system significantly reduces other harmful emissions, such as nitrogen and sulfur oxides.
During its first visit to Koper, the ship was visited by Nevenka Kržan, President of the Management Board at the Port of Koper; Gregor Belič and Vojko Rotar, Members of the Management Board at the Port of Koper; Bine Štancar, Managing Director of CMA CGM Adriatic Cluster; and H.E. Florence Levy, Ambassador of France to Slovenia.
We are very pleased to welcome this first call of the CMA CGM Indianapolis. Our long-standing relationship with the Port of Koper opens up new business opportunities to develop and expand the market for rolling cargo. Working together with CMA CGM Group’s subsidiary CEVA Logistics, we can now significantly enhance our ability to offer door-to-door import/export solutions through Koper. The CMA CGM Indianapolis is our first LNG-powered car carrier and underlines our commitment to achieving Net Zero Carbon by 2050. Our strategy to reduce our carbon footprint includes modernizing our facilities and optimizing our sea and land operations and infrastructure to increase energy efficiency. We are also integrating low-carbon fuels into our energy mix. As pioneers in the use of LNG ships, we ordered our first LNG vessels in 2017 and have been using biofuels since 2019. This enabled us to reduce our CO2 emissions by 1 million tonnes last year,« said Bine Štancar, General Manager of the CMA CGM Adriatic Cluster.
»We are pleased to see shipping companies aligning with the goals of the climate transition and actively implementing sustainable commitments for the future. As a green port, we set ambitious goals years ago: to become an energy-efficient business environment that progressively strengthens its energy independence and increases the share of energy from renewable sources. We have already taken significant steps toward reducing environmental impacts, and we are committed to involving shipping companies in our efforts as much as possible. One successful initiative is the introduction of the Environmental Ship Index (ESI) scheme, which enables cleaner ships to benefit from lower port fees,« emphasized Nevenka Kržan, President of the Management Board at Port of Koper, upon the arrival of the CMA CGM Indianapolis ship.