The CMA CGM Group, a maritime transport headquartered in Marseilles, France, will equip nine future ships of 22,000 TEUs, to be delivered in 2020, with engines burning liquefied natural gas (LNG).

CMA CGM thus becomes the first shipping company in the world to equip giant containerships with this type of power, pursuing its commitment to the protection of the environment and to ocean conservation. The vessels are to be built by the Chinese shipyards group CSSC.

Compared to current ships using heavy fuel oil, LNG produces up to 25 percent less CO2, 99 percent less sulfur emissions, 99 percent less fine particles, and 85 percent less nitrogen oxides emissions.

The Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI), which measures a ship’s environmental footprint, is improved by 20 percent compared to ships only propelled by fuel oil.

The CMA CGM containerships will be LNG-powered, while a small amount of marine gas oil will only be used for the ignition in the combustion chamber.

By choosing LNG, CMA CGM goes beyond current and future regulations that limit the sulfur cap to 0.5 percent in 2020. The carrier is also in line with the Paris Agreement and the ongoing discussions at the international level.

The CMA CGM Group says it is committed to the reduction of its carbon footprint for the protection of the environment and the preservation of the oceans and biodiversity. Between 2005 and 2015, the group reduced its CO2 emissions per container transported per kilometer by 50 percent and has set up a plan to further reduce its CO2 emissions by 30 percent between 2015 and 2025.

“We have made the bold decision to equip our future 22,000 TEUs vessels with a technology firmly focused on the protection of the environment,” said Rodolphe Saadé, CMA CGM Group CEO. “By choosing LNG, CMA CGM confirms its ambition to be a leading force in the industry in environmental protection by being a pioneer in innovative and eco-responsible technologies.”