French shipping giant CMA CGM has taken delivery of the final ship in a series of 10 new 2,000-teu containerships powered by LNG from South Korea’s HD Hyundai Mipo.
The firm announced in a social media post on Tuesday that CMA CGM Escurial departed the yard in Ulsan on December 24, 2024.
Also, the LNG-powered vessel arrived in Shanghai on December 28, where she joined the CNC CV8 service, connecting Shanghai to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, according to CMA CGM.
Back in November 2021, CMA CGM ordered these 10 LNG-powered feeders for about $627 million or some $62.7 million per vessel.
CMA CGM took delivery of the first vessel in this batch, CMA CGM Mermaid, in February last year.
The group previously said the new generation of containerships were designed in close collaboration with France’s Chantiers de l’Atlantique, while the Danish engineering firm Odense Marine Technique (OMT) further converted the concept into an industrial prototype.
Moreover, French LNG giant GTT worked closely on the project for the design and conception of the gas chain and storage tank with total capacity of 1,053 cbm. LNG powers a 12-megawatt MAN dual-fuel engine.
These new containerships join the CMA CGM fleet of more than 623 vessels and a combined capacity of 3 million TEU.
CMA CGM is one of the world’s largest backers of LNG fuel, and it has set a goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Pioneering the use of alternative fuels, the group has invested $18 billion in orders for 131 dual-fuel vessels, which will be operational by 2028.