Adm. Ossama Rabiee, Chairman and Managing Director of the Suez Canal Authority, announced today that traffic through the Canal witnessed the transit of the mega French container ship CMA CGM NOTRE DAME, one of the world's largest LNG-powered container ships, on its first voyage through the Canal. The vessel, transiting amongst vessels of the southern convoy, is on its way from Singapore to France.
The vessel, affiliated to the French shipping line CMA CGM, is 399.9 m. in length, has a beam of 61.3 m., a draft of 16.5 m., a tonnage of 245 thousand tons and can carry 24212 TEUs on board.
CMA CGM NOTRE DAME is considered the most technologically advanced vessel sailing under the flag of France as it runs on LNG and has state-of-the-art AI technology. It is designed to execute lengthy voyages and operates as a part of the FAL3 maritime service on the trade route between The Far East and North-West Europe.
On his part, Adm. Rabiee gave his directives that all necessary measures be taken to ensure the vessel's safe transit through assigning a number of the SCA's senior pilots to it as well as providing navigational aid through escort tugboats.
In accordance with the SCA's protocol with vessels transiting through the Canal for the first time, H.E. delegated Capt. Abdelrahman Shaheen, First Senior Pilot, Capt. Abdullah Gad, Senior Pilot, and Capt. Nader Nagy, Distinguished Pilot, to board the vessel and welcome its crew members to the Suez Canal, as well as to present a commemorative gift to the Shipmaster.
Adm. Rabiee asserted the SCA's readiness for the transit of the largest and most advanced vessels in the global container ship fleet in light of the Canal’s unique strategic advantage that contribute to safekeeping global supply chains and achieving economic savings. All this keeps the Suez Canal at the forefront as the most prominent and sustainable route for global trade between the East and the West.
H.E. also underscored that the Suez Canal continues to develop its services through upgrading maritime services as well as introducing a bundle of new navigational services that meet the requirements of its clients and ensure achieving the highest standards of maritime safety for mega vessels.
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