CMA CGM Group is set to dedicate six liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered containerships to the US market as part of the Group’s ongoing efforts to improve air quality and drive forward the energy transition of the shipping industry.
Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the CMA CGM Group, made the announcement at the opening session of the TPM conference on 25 February.
The first of these new vessels will be delivered in October 2021, and all ships will be fully operational by the end of 2022.
The six 15,000-TEU vessels will be deployed on CMA CGM’s Pearl River Express (PRX) line, which sails from China to the Port of Los Angeles. The CMA CGM Group is currently operating 12 LNG-powered containerships, a fleet that will grow to 32 containerships of various sizes by 2022.
This technology is one of the first steps towards achieving CMA CGM Group’s ambitious 2050 objective of carbon neutrality.
American customers will be able to choose to transport their goods using LNG, a new technology that helps to preserve air quality by eliminating almost all atmospheric pollutants.
Recently, the Group also introduced ACT with CMA CGM+, a set of services designed to allow customers to analyse, reduce and offset their environmental impact.
CMA CGM will continue to incorporate the latest advanced technologies to serve the needs of its customers, in the US and globally, while ensuring every aspect of its business is operating in the most sustainable way possible.
Saadé said, “The deployment of six LNG-powered containerships of 15,000-TEU will go along with the development of the US economy in a sustainable manner. It is a strong signal in favour of the environment.
“The US is strategic for the economic exchanges and for CMA CGM: 2021 will definitely be marked by the strengthening of the ties that have already united us for a long time. We deeply believe in the strengths of the American economy and we’re eager to foster its responsible growth.”
