CMA CGM deploys 24,212 TEU vessel to raise Asia Europe efficiency

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CMA CGM has placed its new 24,212 TEU LNG powered containership CMA CGM NOTRE DAME into service, combining an optimised hull, digital navigation and onboard energy management systems to improve cargo capacity, fuel efficiency and operational safety.

The vessel is the first in a series of 10 ships scheduled for delivery between 2026 and 2028. It is operating on the carrier’s French Asia Line, which connects major Asian export hubs with Northern Europe.

The deployment adds another ultra large container vessel to a trade corridor where carriers must balance high cargo volumes with fuel costs, port restrictions and increasingly demanding emissions rules.

The CMA CGM NOTRE DAME measures approximately 400 metres long and 61.3 metres wide. Its nominal capacity is 24,212 TEU, making it the largest containership operating under the French flag and the largest LNG powered containership currently in service.

According to the carrier, changes to the vessel’s architecture created space for an additional 280 containers without increasing its external dimensions.

The difference may look limited beside the ship’s total capacity, but additional slots can materially affect the economics of a weekly liner service. Every extra container carried spreads fuel, crew and operating costs across a larger cargo base.

Hull form optimisation was carried out with support from Bureau Veritas Solutions Marine & Offshore. The work focused on cargo capacity, structural safety and energy efficiency during the design phase.

An aerodynamic windshield has also been installed to reduce air resistance and lower energy consumption. The structure is designed to improve airflow around the vessel’s forward container stacks, particularly when the ship is operating at sea with a full deck load.

The vessel’s bridge uses digital navigation systems that provide real time information to the crew. These include augmented reality tools, trajectory prediction and 360 degree visualisation.

The technology is intended to improve situational awareness during navigation and port calls. For a vessel almost 400 metres long, entering a terminal is less like parking a truck and more like guiding a moving industrial site through a narrow gateway.

Artificial intelligence systems can analyse route conditions, recommend speed adjustments and support energy consumption control. The vessel is also connected to CMA CGM fleet centres in Marseille, Miami and Singapore, where shore teams monitor operations and assist crews with decision making.

Xavier Leclercq, vice president of newbuilding at CMA CGM, said the technologies were selected as part of a wider design approach covering hull performance, navigation, onboard safety and energy efficiency.

The vessel is operated by a crew of about 30 seafarers under Captain Nicolas Le Scornet.

The CMA CGM NOTRE DAME is powered by an LNG dual fuel propulsion system and carries LNG in an 18,600 cubic metre tank. The storage capacity is designed to give the vessel sufficient autonomy for its Asia Europe operations.

The carrier said LNG propulsion reduces emissions of sulphur oxides, fine particles, nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide compared with conventional marine fuels. CMA CGM positions the technology as part of its plan to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

LNG remains a transition fuel rather than a complete answer to shipping’s emissions challenge. Its operational performance also depends on engine technology, fuel supply and the control of methane emissions. The vessel nevertheless gives CMA CGM a platform that can combine large cargo volumes with lower local air pollutants on one of its core services.

Bureau Veritas carried out a safety risk assessment of the LNG tank arrangement. Surveyors also inspected the vessel’s fuel storage, handling and gas supply systems during construction and commissioning.

The ship has 1,600 reefer plugs for temperature controlled containers. Smart energy systems manage the electricity and ventilation required by this cargo.

Refrigerated containers can place a significant load on a vessel’s generating system, especially when carrying food, pharmaceuticals and other temperature sensitive products over long distances. Managing that demand more precisely can reduce unnecessary fuel use while protecting cargo conditions.

The vessel operates on a rotation of about 102 days, calling at ports including Ningbo, Shanghai, Yantian, Singapore, Le Havre, Rotterdam, Hamburg and Tangier Med.

All 10 ships in the new series will operate under the French flag. CMA CGM plans to recruit 135 French seafarers as the vessels enter service, increasing its French flagged fleet from 30 ships to 40 by 2028.