Shipping: Why Cma Cgm Ordered 'Game Changing' 22,000 Teu Lng-Powered Containerships

I wasn't certain if construction had started on the nine-ship guild CMA CGM placed end twelvemonth amongst Communist People's Republic of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (it has, run across below) as well as saw this, from Seatrade Maritime News, Apr 30:

Last calendar week Seatrade Maritime News sat downward for a fireside chat amongst Nicolas Sartini, ceo of APL, usage of the CMA CGM Group, well-nigh the game changing determination past times the French container business to guild nine LNG-fuelled, 22,000 teu capacity containerships. Below nosotros issue some extracts from the conversation that took house at the Sea Asia LNG Forum inwards Singapore.

Q: What was the thinking behind CMA CGM to larn for LNG powered vessels, than for illustration scrubbers or depression sulphur?

A: It has been quite a long process, inwards fact the get-go discussions took house dating dorsum to 2010, as well as then it’s non precisely a novel discussion. Then of course of education the sulphur global cap determination which takes house on 1 Jan 2020 as well as every bit a transportation fellowship nosotros at CMA CGM stimulate got been looking for diverse options, as well as these options are three-fold. One is using 0.5% depression sulphur fuel which it is available but is considerably to a greater extent than expensive than heavy fuel oil. Two is scrubbers. Scrubbers are a relatively novel technology scientific discipline every bit well, it has its merits as well as also its inconvenience. Then 3rd is you lot tin privy burn downward LNG.
Clearly it’s a novel rule as well as novel surroundings where CMA CGM for newbuildings as well as nosotros decided to larn for what is considered to hold upward the novel technology scientific discipline which is LNG fuelled engines.

Q: How of import is it for CMA CGM every bit fellowship to hold upward seen to taking a leadership put inwards price of shipping, the surroundings as well as climate change?

The determination was rattling much an environmental as well as economical one. Always at CMA CGM at the forefront of environmental protection. We also consider that it’s a game changer as well as every bit a fellowship nosotros would hold upward the get-go 1 to motion on this scale.

Q: One of the issues for LNG mightiness on containerships is the loss of cargo infinite due to the size of the fuel tanks compared to heavy fuel oil– how has CMA CGM been able to bargain amongst this?

Technical experts stimulate got worked on this as well as minimised the loss of infinite as well as then on a 22,000 teu vessel nosotros are looking at to a greater extent than or less 200 teu reduction as well as then its 1% inwards capacity. Clearly every teu counts but 1% of capacity was non actually a major element inwards the decision.

Q: CMA CGM is the get-go fellowship to guild LNG fuelled ultra-large containerships how does the fellowship remainder game changing get-go user payoff against the potential pitfalls of beingness the get-go to usage a novel system?

The technology scientific discipline already exists as well as in that location to a greater extent than or less 100 ships that are using it as well as in all likelihood some other 100 that are beingness built every bit nosotros speak. So the technology scientific discipline is existing as well as proven but non soundless for 22,000 teu vessels - nine of them as well as coming pretty presently amongst the get-go 1 delivered inwards Jan 2020. In price of the fellowship as well as the projection it is interesting to hold upward the get-go mover. But in that location is the availability of the production [LNG], the availability of the infrastructure inwards ports, as well as then the message nosotros are trying to overstep today is straight off its going to hold upward large scale…. it’s rattling of import that straight off the infrastructure is gear upward – nosotros postulate it inwards Singapore, nosotros postulate it inwards Rotterdam, inwards Communist People's Republic of China as well as the US....

...MORE

And from Maritime Executive, July 30:

Construction Starts on Two Record Ultra-Large Container Ships 

Construction of 2 22,000 TEU ultra-large container ships amongst record-breaking beam began inwards Communist People's Republic of China end week. The vessels are usage of a nine-vessel bargain that CMA CGM signed amongst Communist People's Republic of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) end September.

The 220,000dwt vessels volition hold upward the get-go ultra-large container ships to burn downward LNG as well as volition mensurate 400 meters (1,312 feet) inwards length, 61.3 meters (201.1 feet) inwards breadth as well as 33.5 meters (110 feet) inwards depth.

The vessels would hold upward the get-go ultra-large container ships amongst a breadth of 61.3 meters, requiring ship-to-shore cranes amongst an outreach of 24 boxes wide, says Dirk Visser, analyst at Dynamar. Currently the maximum is 23 boxes broad across deck as well as the largest existing ship-to-shore crane is 26 wide. The vessels volition also hold upward the get-go ultra-large container ships amongst 12 boxes nether deck as well as 12 boxes on deck (for usage of the ship). The top rows would hold upward for empty containers only, says Visser.

The LNG 18,600 cubic meter LNG tanks from GTT are expected to accept the infinite of to a greater extent than or less 500 TEU as well as grade the get-go fourth dimension a non-Type C containment organization has been specified for an LNG bunker tank. Instead, GTT's membrane insulation organization Mark III was chosen for infinite optimization. The Mark III membrane organization is a cryogenic liner straight supported past times the ship’s inner hull. This liner is composed of a main metallic element membrane positioned on top of a prefabricated insulation panel including a consummate secondary membrane.

The ships volition reportedly hold upward propelled past times the largest gas-burning dual-fuel engines always built: Winterthur Gas & Diesel low-pressure, two-stroke 12X92DF engines. This 12-cylinder engine is rated 63,840kW at lxxx rpm.

“MSC has eleven somewhat like ultra-large container ships, of which, according to schedule, the get-go 8 are to hold upward delivered adjacent twelvemonth from July onwards, i.e. ahead of those of CMA CGM,” Visser says. “These vessels volition usage scrubbers instead of LNG as well as hence stimulate got a higher capacity, an estimated 23,350 TEU.”...MORE

The Maritime Executive article was illustrated amongst a moving painting of the CMA CGM flagship, the 20600 TEU diesel/dual fuel CMA CGM Antoine de Saint Exupery which has been called  "Le monstre des mers".

The novel LNG-powered ships volition hold upward fifty-fifty larger.

Just amazing.