Ten yet-to-be-delivered 24,212 TEU liquefied natural (LNG) dual-fuel vessels will be added to the French flag, French shipping and logistics giant CMA CGM Group revealed.
Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO of CMA CGM Group, has announced the entry into the fleet and registration under the French flag of the ten newbuilds, which are said to be “among the largest and most energy-efficient in the world”.
“CMA CGM has decided to register ten new 24,000 TEU vessels, among the largest in the world, under the French flag starting next year. Powered by liquefied natural gas, they reflect our confidence in France’s maritime sector and its people, with the recruitment of 135 French seafarers and a strengthened partnership with the French Maritime Academy (ENSM),” Saadé highlighted.
“These vessels will serve two major French ports, Le Havre and Dunkirk, on the Asia–Northern Europe route, reinforcing our presence in France at a time when the sea plays an increasingly strategic role in global economic and geopolitical dynamics.”
The decision is said to illustrate the group’s determination to strengthen France’s maritime competitiveness. These vessels will operate under French law in terms of safety and working conditions, thus upholding the excellence and influence of the French flag.
The LNG dual-fuel vessels are compatible with biomethane and e-methane, two low-carbon alternative fuels that reduce CO2 emissions by 67% and 85% respectively, while significantly cutting atmospheric pollutants, including sulfur oxides, fine particles, and nitrogen oxides. They have a large capacity, which improves carbon intensity.
The boxships will carry French know-how and goods across the world, strengthening France’s ties with global trade. Each will bear the name of an iconic French monument or landmark: CMA CGM Notre Dame, CMA CGM Panthéon, CMA CGM Orsay, CMA CGM Luxembourg, CMA CGM Pont Neuf, CMA CGM Versailles, CMA CGM Austerlitz, CMA CGM Nation, CMA CGM Cluny and CMA CGM Longchamp.
From their design stage, the construction of these vessels has mobilized a network of European and French suppliers, including GTT for the LNG tanks and Bureau Veritas for certification.
The group added that the registration under the French International Register is not merely administrative. It creates genuine operational, human, and economic ties. These ships will enable CMA CGM to recruit at least 135 French seafarers, trained at the ENSM, while strengthening CMA CGM’s contribution to the attractiveness of the blue economy sector, generating economic benefits and indirect employment.
Gradually delivered from 2026 onwards, the ten new vessels will be deployed on the group’s flagship route, the French Asia Line (FAL 1), which connects Northern Europe to Asia, with regular calls at Le Havre and Dunkirk.
In other news, CMA CGM recently took delivery of its newest container vessel powered by LNG. As disclosed in a social media post, the CMA CGM Syracuse’s formal entrance to the Marseille-based maritime transport company’s fleet was officiated in South Korea on October 16. The ceremony was reportedly held at an HD Hyundai Samho yard.
