CMA CGM, Elengy & others to study production of BioLNG

French liner major CMA CGM has teamed up with EveRé, operator of the multi-process household waste treatment plant, Elengy, a subsidiary of Engie, and TotalEnergies to study the feasibility of creating France’s first production unit for liquefied biomethane (BioLNG).

BioLNG, a low-carbon alternative fuel for shipping, would be produced by converting the biodegradable part of household waste from the Marseille Provence region. It would be used to decarbonize shipping services departing from the Grand Port Maritime in Marseille and IT would be used primarily for CMA CGM’s LNG-powered vessels.

Namely, the liner company plans to have 44 LNG-powered containerships by the end of 2024.

As informed, the project would use the area’s household waste to reduce local air pollutants as well as existing infrastructure at the Grand Port Maritime, including Elengy’s LNG terminals, which will be used for the storage and delivery of the BioLNG, TotalEnergies’ bunker vessel, which will be located at the port as of January 2022, and CMA CGM’s LNG-powered vessels.

BioLNG, combined with the dual-fuel gas engine technology developed by CMA CGM, reduces greenhouse gas emissions by at least 67% relative to well-to-wake VLSFO. On the basis of a tank-to-wake measurement, GHG emissions are reduced by 88%, according to CMA CGM.

The CMA CGM Group, Engie and TotalEnergies have already been working together for several months as part of the Coalition for the Energy of the Future.

The coalition aims to step up the pace of development of future energy sources and technologies to support new sustainable mobility models, thereby reducing the environmental impact of transportation and logistics.