SHANGHAI: September 25, 2019. The first of nine ultra-large containerships, each with a capacity of 23,000 TEUs and powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), has been launched at the Shanghai Jiangnan-Changxing Shipyard for the CMA CGM Group.

In a statement, the company said its LNG-powered vessels will reduce emissions of sulphur oxides and fine particles by 99 percent; nitrogen oxides by up to 85 percent; and carbon dioxide emissions by “around 20 percent”.

The new French-registered box ships, each 400 metres long and 61 metres wide, will be equipped with a smart system to manage ventilation for reefer containers and operate between Asia and Northern Europe from 2020.

The first vessel is named CMA CGM Jacques Saadé after the group’s founder. At the launch event his son, chairman and CEO Rodolphe Saadé said: “With the launching of the first 23,000-TEU ship powered by liquified natural gas, we demonstrate that energy transition can be effectively successful in our industry if all the players work together. It paves the way to a global shipping approach where economic growth and competitiveness can coexist with sustainability and the fight against climate change.”