LNG-powered CMA CGM Indianapolis makes maiden call to Bremerhaven

CMA CGM Indianapolis, the first new 7,000 CEU LNG dual-fuel car carrier in CMA CGM’s fleet, has made its maiden call at BLG AutoTerminal Bremerhaven, Germany.

The first call of CMA CGM Indianapolis, which comes from Immingham in the UK and stops in Bremerhaven on its way to Singapore, was celebrated on February 19 at the quay with the official handover of a plaque to the captain of the roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) ship.

“We are very pleased about this ‘first call’ of the “CMA CGM Indianapolis”. The long-standing relationship with Bremerhaven opens up new opportunities for us to develop and expand the market for rolling cargo,” Mirja Nibbe, Managing Director of CMA CGM Germany, commented.

Delivered in December 2023, CMA CGM Indianapolis was built at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (CMJL) Weihai.

On its inaugural journey in Northern Europe, the 199.9-meter-long newbuilding is in Bremerhaven not just for unloading but also for LNG bunkering in Kaiserhafen.

The RoRo vessel bunkered LNG supplied by Gasum’s tanker.

“With the arrival of the ‘CMA CGM Indianapolis’ in Bremerhaven and by bunkering LNG in the Kaiserhafen, we are once again demonstrating the good cooperation between the local authorities in order to make new things, such as refueling ships with liquid natural gas possible without any problems,” Kristina Vogt, Senator for Economic Affairs, Ports and Transformation, said.

“At the same time, we are consolidating our position as a leading transshipment port for roll-on/roll-off transports. It is a practical example of how we in Bremerhaven are actively contributing to making the maritime industry and shipping as a whole more sustainable. We are pursuing the clear goal of transforming the overseas port into a low-emission ‘CO2 neutral port’ by 2035.”

“Last year, CMA CGM won the Green Focus Award from the ports of Bremen in two categories – with the lowest-emission fleet overall and the lowest-emission ship that will arrive in 2023 Stromkaje has moored. The fact that CMA CGM is now consistently using a type of propulsion for the ‘Indianapolis’ that releases far fewer air pollutants than conventional ship diesel engines is a very good sign and confirms us on our way to becoming a low-emission, CO2-neutral port,” Robert Howe, Bremenports managing director, pointed out.

CMA CGM Indianapolis is the first of four identical RoRo ships that will be sailing for CMA CGM in the future. The three other sister ships are scheduled to be delivered in 2024.

The newbuild can transport around 7,000 cars on a total of 12 decks. The hybrid drive system of the RoRo ship includes both an LNG and an electric drive including battery technology and the vessel is equipped with two 2,000 cubic meter LNG tanks, which are now filled directly in the Kaiserhafen using a bunker ship.

The French shipping group, which has so far called Bremerhaven primarily with container ships, entered the car carrier market last year.

“The ‘CMA CGM Indianapolis’ is our first LNG-powered car carrier and underlines our commitment to achieve a net-zero emissions balance by 2050. Our carbon footprint reduction strategy includes modernizing our facilities and optimizing our sea and land operations and infrastructure to increase energy efficiency. As a pioneer for the use of LNG ships, we ordered corresponding ships in 2017 and have been using biofuels from 2019. This enabled us to reduce our CO2 emissions by 1 million tonnes last year,” Nibbe concluded.