Mr Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the CMA CGM Group, on Monday signed two strategic agreements with Mr Lei Fanpei, Chairman of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), in the presence of French President, Mr Emmanuel Macron, and Chinese President, Mr Xi Jinping.
Commented Mr Saadé on the occasion: “Through this strategic partnership with the China State Shipbuilding Corporation, we once again opt for LNG propulsion and we reinforce our efforts to develop ever more efficient and environmentally friendly vessels. We thereby reassert our leading role in the energy transition of the shipping industry.”
Mr Rodolphe Saadé signed an agreement for the order of ten new 15,000-teu containerships. Measuring 366 m in length, they will be delivered from 2021 in replacement of ten other vessels and will be used on the Asia-Mediterranean lines.
Designed to support the Group’s growth, these ships will further strengthen its competitiveness and will be equipped with the latest technologies for the protection of the environment, highlighted a release.
The CMA CGM Group has chosen to power half of these new builds with liquefied natural gas (LNG), which allows for a significant reduction in CO2, sulphur, fine particles and nitrogen oxides emissions.
The five other vessels will be fitted with hybrid scrubbers, allowing for the elimination of sulphur and fine particles emissions.
Mr Saadé and Mr Lei Fanpei also signed an ambitious cooperation agreement to develop more efficient and environmentally friendly vessels. The CMA CGM Group thus reasserted its commitment to the protection of the environment and the energy transition of the shipping industry.
In November 2017, the Group had announced an order for nine 22,000-teu containerships powered by LNG, becoming the first shipping company in the world to choose this energy source for vessels of this size, the release added.
