China Delivers World’s First Ultra-large Container Ship To CMA CGM

China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (CSSC) delivered a 24,000 TEU dual-fuel container ship, CMA CGM Seine, to the French shipping giant CMA CGM. The delivery took place in Shanghai.

The CMA CGM Seine is the world’s first ultra-large container vessel powered by both liquefied natural gas (LNG) and conventional fuel.

The dual-fuel system allows the ship to switch between LNG and oil as needed, contributing to more flexible and sustainable operations.

The ship is massive in size-399 meters long and 61.3 meters wide, with a carrying capacity of 23,876 TEU containers, including space for 2,200 refrigerated containers.

It can carry up to 220,000 tonnes of goods, and with an 18,600 cubic meter LNG fuel bunker, the ship is capable of sailing nearly 20,000 nautical miles without refuelling.

This vessel is the first of four similar mega containerships ordered by CMA CGM. It is expected to begin service on the Far East to Europe shipping route starting April 18.

This vessel is designed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 20% and nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 85%, making it one of the cleanest ships in its category.

A deputy general manager from Hudong-Zhonghua’s Changxing Shipbuilding facility shared that the ship’s construction timeline was major shortened.

According to the official, the time from the beginning of construction to undocking was compressed to just 4 to 5 months, and the ship was delivered over six months ahead of schedule.

So far, 17 container ships have been delivered by Hudong-Zhonghua to CMA CGM, of which 12 are dual-fuel vessels.

The Changxing Island shipyard, where the vessel was built, is a major production hub for Hudong-Zhonghua and continues to grow its order book.

Over 20 high-value vessels are currently under construction at the facility. The company’s confirmed schedule extends to 2029, with a total order value close to 140 billion yuan (approximately $19.6 billion).

China Shipbuilding Group, officially known as China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), is one of the largest shipbuilding companies globally.

It was formed in 1999 through the restructuring of China’s shipbuilding sector and is headquartered in Beijing.

The group specialises in building a wide range of vessels, from commercial container ships and LNG carriers to naval ships and offshore equipment.

Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, founded in 2001 after the merger of Hudong and Zhonghua shipyards, is CSSC’s major subsidiary based in Shanghai.

References: china.org.cn, portnews

Source: Maritime Shipping News