Chinese shipbuilder Hudong Zhonghua has started the construction of a 13,000 TEU dual-fuel containership for French shipping major CMA CGM at the Changxing Shipbuilding Base .
The construction of the second unit in a series of six 13,000 TEU dual-fuel ships began on 15 July with the steel cutting ceremony.
The vessel is part of CMA CGM’s $2.3 billion dual-fuel, LNG-powered containership order from April 2021 aimed at accommodating market growth.
The 13,000 TEU vessel is the second type of dual-fuel containership built by Hudong Zhonghua and represents the latest generation of green, environmentally friendly, high-efficiency and energy-saving boxships, the shipbuilder said.
The 336-metre long and 51-metre wide ship will be equipped with a 14,000 cbm MARK III LNG cargo tank and will be able to load 2,400 containers with a maximum capacity of 13,2000 TEUs.
It will also feature flexible container loading technology and use energy-saving ducts, rudder balls and other devices for improving its performance.
According to Hudong Zhonghua, the main engine of this type of containership has been upgraded and it adopts the new generation of intelligent control exhaust gas recirculation ( ICER ) system, which, in comparison with the 23000 TEU dual-fuel containership can reduce methane escape in gas mode by 50% and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by more than 28%.
The vessel is set to become the largest dual-fuel containership operating on the South American route and will be built in line with the owner’s operational requirements for the route.