GTT nets technical services contract for CMA CGM LNG-powered ships

October 4, 2023, by Aida Čučuk

French LNG containment specialist GTT has signed a technical services agreement (TSA) with compatriot shipping and logistics major CMA CGM Group.

Illustration; Archive; Courtesy of CMA CGM

Under the agreement, GTT will provide CMA CGM with maintenance and operation services for 49 ‘biomethane and e-methane ready’ LNG-powered container vessels, all equipped with GTT’s Mark III, Mark III Flex and Recycool technologies.

The agreement includes GTT on-site technical assistance for inspection, maintenance, repairs, operations and engineering services, GTT said, adding that GTT Training will offer its training program for onshore personnel and CMA CGM sea-going crew. This program, according to GTT, encompasses LNG training for the crews, supported by GTT’s G-Sim training simulator, designed to replicate the future LNG operations of the vessels.

Additionally, CMA CGM is expected to benefit from access to the HEARS emergency hotline, which enables ship owners and their crews to contact GTT’s experts 24/7 to respond to operational issues.

Furthermore, GTT said it will equip the ships with its subsidiary Ascenz Marorka’s high-frequency data collection systems to monitor and optimize their operational performance while continuously reducing energy consumption and emissions. CMA CGM onshore and offshore personnel will have access to the Ascenz Marorka online platform and will benefit from advanced features like voyage management, vessel performance monitoring and LNG fuel management, GTT noted.

Philippe Berterottière, Chairman and CEO of GTT, stated: “We are honored to sign this agreement with our partner CMA CGM, which operates a large fleet of LNG-powered container ships equipped with GTT technologies. With our personalized support services tailored to our customers’ needs, we are committed to ensuring maximum efficiency and safety for operational ships. This vote of confidence further strengthens our long-term relationship with the CMA CGM Group.”

Anouar Kiassi, Managing Director of Ascenz Marorka, said the company is proud of the trust that CMA CGM placed in them, and Xavier Leclercq, Vice-President Ships at the CMA CGM Group, called the agreement “another milestone in the long-term partnership between CMA CGM and GTT to accelerate our energy transition and that of the entire industry while maintaining the highest safety standards.”

To remind, in May 2023, GTT signed a TSA with the shipping and maritime company Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) and its LNG affiliate CoolCo. GTT agreed to support EPS and CoolCo with the maintenance and operation of a global fleet of 33 vessels, including 24 LNG carriers operated by CoolCo, six very large ethane carriers (VLECs) and three LNG-fueled containerships operated by EPS, all equipped with Mark III or NO96 membrane containment systems technologies developed by GTT.