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CMA CGM Announces 10 New 24K TEU LNG Ships

[ November 7, 2025   //   Gary Burrows ]

French Carrier CMA CGM has entered its fleet and registered 10 new liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-use 24,212-TEU vessels, the largest LNG-powered ships in the world.

 Rodolphe Saadé, chairman and CEO of the CMA CGM Group, made the announcement at the 20th edition of the Assises de l’Économie de la Mer.

CMA CGM said the major investment confirmed its long-term commitment to France and its preference of “French and European maritime power and sovereignty.”

A major investment confirming the CMA CGM Group’s long-term commitment to France and a strong choice in favor of French and European maritime power and sovereignty.

The commitment includes the carrier recruiting and training 135 additional French seafarers to operate the new vessels. They will be trained notably at the French National Maritime Academy (ENSM).

“These vessels will serve two major French ports, Le Havre and Dunkirk, on the Asia-Northern Europe route, reinforcing our presence in France at a time when the sea plays an increasingly strategic role in global economic and geopolitical dynamics,” Saade said.

The vessels will operate under French law in terms of safety and working conditions of the French flag.

These LNG dual-fuel vessels are compatible with biomethane and e-methane, two low-carbon alternative fuels that reduce CO2 emissions by 67 percent and 85 percent, respectively, while significantly cutting atmospheric pollutants, including sulfur oxides, fine particles, and nitrogen oxides.

Gradually delivered from 2026 onwards, the 10 vessels are named after iconic French monuments and landmarks: CMA CGM Notre Dame, CMA CGM Panthéon, CMA CGM Orsay, CMA CGM Luxembourg, CMA CGM Pont Neuf, CMA CGM Versailles, CMA CGM Austerlitz, CMA CGM Nation, CMA CGM Cluny and CMA CGM Longchamp.

The new vessels will be deployed on the group’s flagship route, the French Asia Line (FAL-1) which connects northern Europe to Asia, with regular calls at Le Havre and Dunkirk.

Tags: CMA CGM, French National Maritime Academy