CMA CGM bets on biogas with order for seven container ships

Shipping company CMA CGM has ordered seven biogas-fuelled container ships to sail between Caribbean islands.

PHOTO: A CMA CGM container ship. CMA CGM

The announcement was made by CMA CGM's chairman and chief executive Rodolphe Saadé during his trip to Martinique and Guadeloupe.

The seven container ships, which are expected to be delivered from 2024, includes four 7,300 TEU vessels and three 7,900 TEU vessels.

These vessels will serve Guadeloupe and Martinique and replace smaller ships traversing the routes between the French West Indies, France and Europe.

To accommodate the bigger ships, CMA CGM will expand port capacity in Guadeloupe and Martinique, including bigger wharfs.

Fort de France and Pointe à Pitre will be regional hub ports for container shipments to Guyana, Saint Martin, Saint Barthélemy and northeast Brazil.

CMA CGM says biogas produced from biomass can cut carbon dioxide emissions by two-thirds compared to conventional bunker fuels. The company has been developing a dual-fuel engine for its next-generation fleet since 2017. In addition to biogas, these vessels can run on synthetic methane (e-methane).

It has 31 e-methane ready vessels in operation and another 46 on order for delivery by 2026.

By Tuhin Roy

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