Wärtsilä tech for CMA CGM’s LNG-fuelled boxships to support decarbonisation ops

French shipping major CMA CGM has selected Wärtsilä, the Finnish technology group, to supply a range of solutions for its new LNG-fuelled container ships and support its maritime decarbonisation operations.

The orders, placed in Q3 and Q4 2021, are related to the series of CMA CGM’s 12 container vessels to be built in China, Wärtsilä informed.

Specifically, six 13,000 TEU container vessels are being built at the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding while the other six 15,000 TEU container vessels are under construction at the Jiangnan Shipyard.

As disclosed, the Wärtsilä equipment is scheduled for delivery to the yards commencing in 2022, and the first of the 12 vessels is expected to be launched in Q3 2023.

With this order, CMA CGM is said to emphasize its support for efforts to decarbonise maritime operations by fitting the ships to operate with LNG fuel rather than conventional marine diesel fuels.

As described, LNG eliminates almost all air pollutants such as sulphur oxides (Sox: -99%) and nitrogen oxide (NOx: -92%) and particulates (PM10: -91%) and achieves the first step toward decarbonisation.

Also, the dual-fuel gas engines on the vessels are known to be compatible with renewable energies such as biomethane, synthetic methane and e-methane.

“At CMA CGM we are committed to promoting sustainability in all our operations. We are happy to work with Wärtsilä as they have a similar decarbonisation target and a very broad scope of solutions to offer. The choice of dual-fuel gas vessels powered by LNG for our new ships is part of our commitment to build a zero-carbon future”, said Xavier Leclercq, vice-president of CMA SHIPS.

The new order comes on the back of Wärtsilä’s previous contract under which the company was to supply a similar scope of solutions for nine 23,000 TEU CMA CGM vessels which have been delivered and five 15,000 TEU whereof two vessels are delivered and three are under construction.

Commenting on the order, Håkan Agnevall, president and CEO of Wärtsilä Corporation, said: “This large repeat order for a broad scope of Wärtsilä solutions from a valued customer marks the value of quality, reliability and sharp customer focus. It also highlights our wide range of competencies across marine technologies. Both CMA CGM and Wärtsilä have a common strategy in applying LNG solutions to prepare the way towards carbon-free shipping”.

According to Wärtsilä, the selected solutions include for each vessel 34DF dual-fuel auxiliary engines, 60 engines in total, delivered from the joint venture in China, Nacos Platinum integrated control system, propulsion control system, STC-13 series Sewage Treatment Plants and Fuel Gas Supply System fitted with Wärtsilä’s Operational Performance Improvement and Monitoring (Operim) system.