The CMA CGM Group has launched its first new vessel in a series of nine liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered ultra large containerships at the Shanghai Jiangnan-Changxing Shipyard, the France-based shipping and logistics company announced on Wednesday.
At 23,000-TEU capacity, the CMA CGM Jacques Saadé and its eight French-flagged sisterships will be the world’s largest containerships to run on LNG propulsion.
“With the launching of the first 23,000-TEU ship powered by liquefied natural gas, we demonstrate that energy transition can be effectively successful in our industry if all the players work together. It paves the way to a global shipping approach where economic growth and competitiveness can coexist with sustainability and the fight against climate change,” CMA CGM Group Chairman and CEO Rodolphe Saadé said during the launch event.
To further improve the environmental performance, the vessels’ hull forms have been hydrodynamically optimized. The bulb has been seamlessly integrated into the hull profile and the bow is straight. The propeller and rudder blade have also been improved, along with the Becker Twisted Fin.
The exceptionally large vessels (400 meters long and 61 meters wide), ordered in 2017, will feature a state-of-the-art bridge design. CMA CGM said the ships will deliver several world-first innovations to assist the captain and crew, including a tactical display offering enhanced map views for more dynamic navigation briefings; a path prediction system optimized to display the ship’s predicted position in the next three minutes; a smart eye system projecting a bird’s-eye view of the ship’s surrounding area; and augmented reality screens offering the crew precise information on the ship's rate of rotation, distance from the wharf and transverse speeds.
The first vessel in this new class, CMA CGM Jacques Saadé, named after the group’s founder, will be equipped with a smart system to manage ventilation for the reefer containers carried in the hold.
The nine new vessels will join the group's fleet from 2020 on the French Asia Line (Asia-Northern Europe) and will be registered in the French International Register (RIF).