French shipping giant CMA CGM has placed a large order for dual-fuel containerships at Chinese private shipyard Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, according to shipbuilding sources.
Sources told LNG Prime in April that CMA CGM was looking to order up to ten ultra-large LNG dual-fuel containerships in China and South Korea.
According to the sources, CMA CGM recently signed the shipbuilding deal with Yangzijiang for ten 24,000-teu LNG-powered containerships.
Yangzijiang is expected to deliver the ships by the end of 2027.
These vessels will feature MAN ME-GI engines and also GTT’s LNG fuel tanks, the sources said.
The price tag has not been revealed. Looking at previous orders, this contract could be worth about $2.5 billion or some $240-250 million per vessel.
Yangzijiang confirmed the containership order in a statement later on Monday saying it will build ten LNG dual-fuel vessels with a capacity of 24,000 units.
The shipbuilder did not provide any additional information regarding the order.
China’s Hudong-Zhonghua and Jiangnan already built nine 23,000-teu LNG dual-fuel containerships for CMA CGM.
These 400 meters long and 61 meters wide LNG-powered giants feature WinGD’s dual-fuel engines and also GTT’s 18,600-cbm fuel tank.
Last year, CMA CGM also ordered four LNG-powered 23,000-teu containerships with the same specifications at Hudong-Zhonghua and four in April this year.
Orders hit $5.6 billion
Yangzijiang and its units are building LNG-powered containerships for Seaspan and ZIM, MSC, and PIL.
In October last year, Yangzijiang also secured its first order for large LNG carriers.
Yangzijiang on Monday also won an order from Denmark’s Maersk for six 9,000-teu methanol dual-fuel vessels with delivery scheduled in 2026 and 2027.
The group has this year secured new orders for 69 vessels worth about $5.6 billion, it said in the statement.
Yangzijiang exceeded its 2023 target of $3 billion, achieving the highest-ever total outstanding orderbook value of $14.6 billion for 180 vessels, it said.
(Article updated to include a statement by Yangzijiang Shipbuilding.)