French shipping group CMA CGM is looking to further increase its fleet of LNG-powered vessels and should later this year place an order for additional containerships at two Chinese yards.
Shipbuilding sources tell LNG Prime that CMA CGM is looking to order six 13,000 TEU LNG-powered ships at Hudong-Zhonghua and Jiangnan Shipyard.
The state-owned yards would build three vessels, each. Also, the order would include an option for three additional vessels at both yards totaling twelve containerships, the sources said.
CMA CGM would pay roughly $140 million for each vessel while the order could be finalized in the summer this year, according to the sources.
The new BV classed vessels would feature a GTT tank and WinGD’s dual-fuel propulsion, such as the nine ULCVs already under construction at the two yards, the sources said.
To remind, Hudong is building five ultra-large LNG-powered containerships for CMA CGM while Jiangnan is constructing four.
These nine ULCVs are the world’s largest LNG-powered vessels.
CMA CGM took delivery of the sixth vessel in this batch last month and should soon welcome the seventh ship as well.
Furthermore, these ships are 400 meters long and 61 meters wide and feature WinGD’s dual-fuel engines but also GTT’s 18,600-cbm fuel tank, both largest ever built.
Besides these giants, Jiangnan is also building five 15,000 TEU LNG-powered vessels for CMA CGM.
The French firm is heavily investing in LNG as fuel and plans to have at least 32 containerships of various sizes by 2022 as it looks to comply with stricter rules and slash emissions.