CMA CGM welcomes 13,000 TEU LNG-powered CMA CGM Bahia

Chinese shipbuilder Hudong-Zhonghua has delivered 13,000 TEU LNG-powered containership CMA CGM Bahia to French shipping giant CMA CGM Group.

As informed, the delivery ceremony took place on December 7. The ship has a total length of 336 meters, a width of 51 meters, a depth of 26.8 meters, a designed service speed of 21 knots, and a maximum load capacity of 13,200 TEUs. 

The boxship adopts an LNG dual-fuel power system and is equipped with an LNG cargo tank with a 14,000 cubic meter Mark III cargo containment system. It is equipped with China State Shipbuilding Corporation’s CMD-WinGD9X9DF-2.0 main engine and the new generation of intelligent control.

According to the shipbuilder, the exhaust gas recirculation (ICER) system can reduce methane slip in gas mode by 50% and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 28%.

The ship also features a huge wind deflector on the bow, which can save 2%-4% of fuel consumption during the voyages.

Several other energy-saving devices are also installed at the stern of the ship, which can improve propeller propulsion efficiency and reduce energy consumption by about 1.5%. The aim is to significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions. CMA CGM Bahia will become the largest dual-fuel container ship operating on the South American route, according to Hudong-Zhonghua.

The 13,000 TEU containerships are part of CMA CGM’s $2.3 billion dual-fuel, LNG-powered containership order for six ships from April 2021. This dual-fuel container ship belongs to the latest generation of green, environmentally friendly, efficient, and energy-saving container vessels. Recently, Hudong-Zhonghua launched 13,000 TEU LNG-powered CMA CGM Paraty.

The French heavyweight returned to Chinese shipyards with a massive order worth $3.06 billion in April 2023 with a contract with the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) for the construction of 16 large container ships.

The order comprises twelve 15,000 TEU methanol dual-fuel and four 23,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container vessels.

The deals are part of CMA CGM’s decarbonization agenda. A few days ago, Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the CMA CGM Group, together with other industry majors, issued a joint declaration calling for an end date for fossil-only powered newbuilds and urging the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to create the regulatory conditions to accelerate the transition to green fuels.