The following release was published by CMA CGM:
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A major investment confirming the CMA CGM Group’s long-term commitment to France and a strong choice in favor of French and European maritime power and sovereignty.
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A commitment that creates training and employment opportunities, with CMA CGM recruiting 135 additional French seafarers to operate these new vessels, trained notably at the French National Maritime Academy (ENSM).
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These vessels position the French maritime industry at the forefront of the energy transition, thanks to their compatibility with low-carbon fuels.
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Gradually delivered from 2026 onwards, these ten new containerships will connect Northern Europe to Asia, with regular calls at Le Havre and Dunkirk.
On the occasion of the 20th edition of the Assises de l’Économie de la Mer, Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the CMA CGM Group, announced the entry into the fleet and registration under the French flag (French International Register - RIF) of ten Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) dual-fuel vessels, each with a remarkable capacity of 24,212 TEUs, among the largest and most energy-efficient in the world. By choosing France, CMA CGM is making a powerful statement in favor of French maritime and logistical sovereignty on the global stage.
Rodolphe Saadé declared: “CMA CGM has decided to register ten new 24,000 TEU vessels, among the largest in the world, under the French flag starting next year. Powered by liquefied natural gas, they reflect our confidence in France’s maritime sector and its people, with the recruitment of 135 French seafarers and a strengthened partnership with the French Maritime Academy (ENSM). These vessels will serve two major French ports, Le Havre and Dunkirk, on the Asia–Northern Europe route, reinforcing our presence in France at a time when the sea plays an increasingly strategic role in global economic and geopolitical dynamics.”
A pioneering choice, reflecting the CMA CGM Group’s maritime ambition
This decision illustrates the Group’s determination to strengthen France’s maritime competitiveness, reaffirming the national flag as a driver of attractiveness, investment, and innovation in the service of France’s maritime ambitions.
These vessels, among the largest container ships in the world, will operate under French law in terms of safety and working conditions, thus upholding the excellence and influence of the French flag.
They also embody the Group’s leadership in the energy transition of global shipping. These LNG dual-fuel vessels are compatible with biomethane and e-methane, two low-carbon alternative fuels that reduce CO2[1] emissions by 67% and 85% respectively, while significantly cutting atmospheric pollutants, including sulfur oxides, fine particles, and nitrogen oxides. Thanks to their large capacity, which improves carbon intensity, these vessels concretely illustrate the CMA CGM Group’s commitment to more sustainable and responsible shipping.
Source: CMA CGM