CMA CGM Orders Seven Biogas-Powered Ships to Serve French West Indies

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November 23, 2022

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(Bioenergy Insight) Chairman and CEO of the CMA CGM Group, Rodolphe Saadé, recently announced the rollout of seven new container ships powered by biogas to enhance and modernise services to the French West Indies.

The ships will be delivered gradually as of 2024. They will comprise four 7,300 TEU vessels and three 7,900 TEU vessels, each with 1,385 Reefer plugs, and will serve Guadeloupe and Martinique. The company said this would significantly increase services to the islands whilst “maintaining the same service standards, reliability and regularity”. They will replace smaller ships dedicated to routes between the French West Indies, France and Europe.

The CMA CGM Group said it is committed to the energy transition and has set itself the target of becoming Net Zero Carbon by 2050. The seven new ships rolled out in the French West Indies in two years will be powered by biogas, a technology that helps to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect air quality by eliminating almost all air pollutants.

Biogas produced from biomass reduces CO2 emissions by 67% compared with conventional fuel and cuts sulfur oxide emissions by 99%, fine particle emissions by 91% and nitrogen oxide emissions by 92%. It therefore makes a significant contribution to improving air quality.

The dual fuel gas engine technology developed by CMA CGM since 2017 is able to use biogas as well as synthetic methane. CMA CGM already has 31 e-methane ready container ships in its fleet fitted with dual-fuel engines. It will have 77 of these vessels by 2026. READ MORE

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