CMA CGM boosts container fleet with big newbuild order
22nd June 2023
CMA CGM of France has ordered 16 container ships from the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), four of which will be of 23,000TEU capacity and twelve of 15,000TEU capacity.
The latter vessels, to be built by Jiangnan SB and Dalian SB, both part of CSSC, will incorporate dual-fuel engines capable of burning methanol, while the larger 23,000TEU vessels, to be built by Hudong-Zhonghua SB, will be powered by dual-fuel LNG burning engines.
The combined order, valued at over $3 billion, is the largest single order for container ships ever placed in China. All 16 vessels are to be delivered in 2025-26 and may be followed by up to ten more LNG dual-fuel 23,000TEU ships, several of which could be built in South Korea.
CMA CGM now has 96 container ships on order, most in the 13,000TEU to 23,000TEU range, and has invested over $10 billion to build 77 LNG-fuelled ships, of which 32 have been delivered. JS
