French shipping giant CMA CGM is looking to order more ultra-large LNG-powered containerships in China and South Korea, according to shipbuilding sources.
CMA CGM plans to orders a total of six new 23,000-teu LNG dual-fuel containerships.
The sources told LNG Prime on Thursday that South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering, China’s Hudong-Zhonghua and Jiangnan Shipyard, both part of CSSC, and Yangzijiang Shipbuilding could potentially build these vessels.
Also, the vessels would have similar specifications as the nine giant LNG-powered ships Hudong-Zhonghua and Jiangnan already built for CMA CGM.
In June 2021, CMA CGM welcomed the ninth and the last vessel in this series, Sorbonne, in its fleet.
These 400 meters long and 61 meters wide LNG-powered giants feature WinGD’s dual-fuel engines and 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 as well.
Each of these containerships has a price tag of about $250 million and they are scheduled for delivery in 2025 and 2026.
Based on this order, the six new ships could be worth about $1.5 billion.
CMA CGM recently said in its 2022 report that it has already committed $10.2 billion for a fleet of 77 LNG-powered and “e-methane ready” vessels of which 32 are already in operation.
Methanol-powered ships
Besides these LNG-powered vessels, CMA CGM is also looking to order six methanol-fueled ships in China, the sources said.
These vessels will have a capacity of 15,000 units and CMA CGM already picked Jiangnan to build these vessels, they said.
CMA CGM and Jiangnan are expected to sign the shipbuilding deal for these vessels worth about $1 billion soon, the sources said.
The French firm already has methanol-powered vessels on order in China and South Korea.