CMA CGM takes on another dozen methanol-powered 13,000 TEUers

French shipping giant CMA CGM has ordered a dozen 13,000 TEU methanol-fuelled containerships at Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries.

Hyundai Samho’s holding company, Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, said in a Korea Exchange filing that a ‘European customer’ had ordered newbuildings for delivery by December 2026.

Industry sources indicate that CMA CGM is the client.

The total contract value is estimated at KRW2.53 trillio9n (US$2.05 billion), according to London’s Loadstar.

The latest order would take CMA CGMs orderbook to 101 ships, for over 972,000 TEU, overtaking that of the Cosco group (including OOCL) and putting it just behind market leader MSC’s orderbook of over 1.8 million TEU.

The newbuildings are the second set of methanol-powered ships CMA CGM has ordered, increasing the total number of such vessels in the French carrier’s orderbook to 18.

Last August, CMA CGM commissioned six 15,000 TEU methanol-powered ships at China’s Dalian Shipbuilding for delivery during H2 25.

CMA CGM believes that there is no single fuel that can achieve the industry’s target of achieving zero-carbon in 2050, and that all eligible fuels should be explored.

CMA CGM already has 31 e-methane ready ships in its fleet and it aims to have 77 by end-2026.

Source: HKSG