French shipping giant CMA CGM, one of the world’s largest backers of LNG as fuel, has ordered 12 LNG dual-fuel container vessels at two yards owned by South Korean conglomerate HD Hyundai, according to shipbuilding sources.
HD KSOE said on Monday in two separate fillings to the stock exchange that HD Hyundai Samho and HD Hyundai Heavy will each build six containerships for an unidentified European company.
The containerships will have a capacity of 15,500 teu, while the shipbuilders will deliver the vessels by June 2028.
HD KSOE said each order is worth about 1.84 trillion won or 3.68 trillion won for the 12 vessels.
This equals about $2.66 billion or some $222 million per vessel.
Shipbuilding sources told LNG Prime that CMA CGM is behind this order for 12 LNG-dual fuel containerships.
Last month, LNG Prime reported, citing sources, that CMA CGM has decided to build the next batch of its LNG-powered vessels at two yards owned by HD Hyundai.
According to the sources, all of the ships will feature LNG tanks equipped with GTT’s Mark III Flex containment tech and MAN ME-GI propulsion.
These containerships will join the CMA CGM fleet of around 620 vessels, including more than 30 already powered by LNG.
CMA CGM previously said it has already invested more than $17 billion in a fleet of nearly 120 LNG- and methanol-powered ships scheduled for delivery by 2027.
The majority of these vessels are equipped with LNG dual-fuel propulsion.
In addition, LNG Prime was the first to report last year that CMA CGM had decided to switch an order it placed at China’s SWS for methanol-powered containerships to LNG fuel.
This order worth about $1 billion is for eight vessels with a capacity of 9,200 teu.