CMA CGMs LNG-Fuelled Behemoths to Fly French Flag

CMA CGM Worlds third biggest container shipping major CMA CGM announced plans to register four of its 20,000 TEU + size giants under the French flag. Namely, speaking at a recent Ecole Nationale Supérieure Maritime (ENSM) event, the companys CEO Rodolphe Saadé said that CMA CGMs next flagship, featuring 20,600 TEU will fly the French flag and will be named CMA CGM Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. In addition, the companys three LNG-powered newbuildings, belonging to the recently ordered 22,000 TEU batch, will also sail under the French flag. To remind, CMA CGM revealed its plans earlier this month to equip its nine future ships of 22,000 TEUs with engines using liquefied natural gas thus becoming the first shipping company in the world to equip giant containerships with this type of motorization. The company ordered the 22,000 TEU vessels from the Chinese CSSC Group spending around USD 1.2 billion. The first ships from the series are scheduled to come into service from the end of 2019. With these four ships, the companys French-flagged fleet will reach 27 vessels in 2020. World Maritime News Staff