CMA CGM receives last of ten eco-friendly 5,500 TEU boxships from Qingdao Beihai

Marseille-headquartered shipping colossal CMA CGM has taken delivery of the final unit in a series of ten 5,500 TEU container vessels, which the company booked at Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding, part of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC).

As disclosed by France’s classification society Bureau Veritas (BV), the newbuilding, which was christened CMA CGM Tiga, was handed over in early April this year. The boxship boasts a length of 255.5 meters, a width of 40 meters, and a deadweight tonnage of 73,025.91 tons.

The vessel is said to represent a ‘new generation’ of eco-friendly medium-sized containerships. It was designed by Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding in collaboration with compatriot Shanghai Ship Research & Design Institute (SDARI).

As informed, CMA CGM Tiga is powered by the WinGD7X82-2.0 main engine. Per BV, the unit has been fitted with an array of sustainability-oriented technological solutions, such as selective catalytic reduction (SCR)—which uses a urea-based catalyst to convert nitrogen oxides (NOx) into nitrogen and water—and alternate maritime power (AMP) systems, an anti-pollution measure that helps in minimizing air pollution generated from diesel generators by using shore electric power as a substitute.

As a result, the newbuilding can slash both sulfur oxide (SOx) and NOx emissions as well as operate in line with the broader climate-related stipulations connected to the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) decarbonization target for 2050.

In fact, it is understood that the entire 5,500 TEU boxship series achieves an Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) of 53.6% below the baseline, surpassing the IMO Phase III standards for environmental performance.

The Malta-flagged CMA CGM Tiga was part of an order that the French shipping player placed back in 2021 at multiple shipbuilding yards in China, all subsidiaries of CSSC. Namely, in April of that year, the company shared that it had booked 22 containerships worth approximately $2.3 billion, twelve of which would be dual-fuel and powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), and ten of which would be 5,500 TEU units running on very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO).

As divulged at the time, six 15,000 TEU LNG-fueled units would be built by Jiangnan Shipyard while Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding would construct a 13,000 TEU sextet.

The first of the ten 5,500 TEU newbuilds, the CMA CGM Sahara, was delivered in February 2024. By the end of the year, the shipping player rang the welcome bell for the eighth one, the CMA CGM Kauri. On the other hand, Hudong-Zhonghua rolled out the red carpet for the last vessel in the 13,000 TEU series in August 2024.

That same month, Jiangnan Shipyard handed over the fifth ship of the 15,000 TEU series, the CMA CGM Big Sur.

To remind, forging ahead with its fleet expansion ambitions, the Marseille-based shipping major turned to China once again in early March 2025, having placed a new order worth nearly $2.6 billion for twelve dual-fuel LNG containerships.

The contract was awarded to Jiangnan Shipyard, with the delivery of the vessels scheduled for 2028 and 2029.