FRENCH LINE REVITALISES SHORT-SEA TRADE

The 2,000 teu CMA CGM Mermaid leads a series of 10 such container vessels to be constructed by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD) for the Marseilles-based owner’s North European and Mediterranean short-sea and feeder network.

The new generation is powered by LNG dual-fuel, two-stroke main machinery, which also allows for operation on bio-gas, produced from bio-waste. Furthermore, design preparation has been made for future conversion to synthetic e-methane.

The CMA CGM Mermaid class represents a pooling of know-how on the part of the shipowner and the HD Hyundai Group in conjunction with the technical consultancy arm of French shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique and Danish engineering firm Odense Marine Technology (OMT). The collaboration has given rise to a substantially differentiated type of boxship for the short-sea sector, as regards technical characteristics, performance and profile.

According to Marseilles-based CMA CGM, each of the vessels will emit 20% less CO₂ compared to a similar-sized ship running on very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO). The project is said to take the organisation one step closer to meeting its objective of net zero carbon by 2050, while boosting competitiveness in the European arena and stimulating a modal shift from road to sea.

The comparatively lean hull form, some 204m in length by 29.6m width, and its underwater characteristics, coupled with an almost inverted, straight bow and integrated bulb, promote hydrodynamic efficiency. Referencing the bow shape specifically, the company reckons on a 15% reduction in fuel consumption.

CMA CGM Mermaid is the fleet’s first vessel with forward superstructure, resulting in a configuration which improves the ship’s aerodynamics and optimises the hull envelope in terms of loading capacity. The cargo carrying arrangements allow for units of the 45ft size.

The main engine is of MAN’s high-pressure ME-GI type, rated at some 12,000kW. LNG fuel storage is on deck, by way of a 1,053m³ tank fitted aft and constructed in accordance with GTT membrane technology. The newbuild is equipped with a shaft generator sized to meet the significant electrical load while at sea, dispensing with the need to draw on the auxiliaries while on passage.

The 10-ship contract award was announced in November 2021, at a reported overall price of $627m. CMA CGM was handed over during February, and is set to embark on her positioning voyage to Europe from the port of Busan. The Korean yard is committed to completing the entire programme by January 2025.

PEM fuel cell demo unit

The final vessel will realise a further measure in CMA CGM’s environmental agenda, by hosting a 1MW fuel cell. The hydrogen-powered plant will provide zero-emission energy for the shipboard net when berthed.

The first six newbuilds in the series are due to be progressively introduced between April and July to the company’s Intra-Northern European line to serve Baltic and Scandinavian ports via the German hubs of Hamburg and Bremerhaven. The four other vessels are to be allocated to the Intra-Mediterranean line from the end of September onwards.