The CMA CGM Champs Elysees, sailing under the French flag, has called today at Terminal des Flandres at the Grand Port Maritime of Dunkirk, the first call in France by a 23,000 TEU vessel powered by Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).
The carrier said the vessel joins forces with the CMA CGM Jacques Saade, the its flagship, on the French Asia Line (FAL 1), the iconic route linking Asia with Europe, with a weekly call in Dunkirk.
The CMA CGM Group now operates seven LNG-powered containerships sailing under the French flag and will have a fleet of 26 containerships of various sizes by 2022.
The vessel and its eight 23,000 TEU sister ships will be registered on the French International Register (RIF). They will be named after iconic monuments and landmarks in the French capital (Palais Royal, Louvre, Rivoli, Montmartre, Concorde, Trocadéro and Sorbonne).
Additionally, the carrier described LNG as “currently the state-of-the-art industry solution for preserving air quality”, claiming it delivers a reduction of 99% in sulfur dioxide, 91% in particulate matter emissions and 92% in nitrogen oxide emissions, surpassing the requirements of current regulations.
LNG also provides an initial response to the challenge of tackling climate change. An LNG-powered vessel emits up to 20% less CO2 than fuel-powered systems. This technology is one of the initial ways in which the CMA CGM Group plans to meet its target of being carbon-neutral by 2050.
