CMA CGM and TotalEnergies announced that they have launched Marseilles’ inaugural ship-to-containership Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) bunkering operation in the Port of Marseille Fos, Southern France.
This operation underlines a solid collaborative teamwork across the French maritime industry, the excellence of its value chain and the involvement of local port authorities to enable the vessels’ safe operatorship, CMA CGM commented.
CMA CGM is considered as pioneers in France’s LNG field. In November of 2017, Rodolphe Saadé, CMA CGM Group’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, decided to make CMA CGM the first ship-owner in the world to equip its flagship 23,000-TEU vessels with engines using liquefied natural gas (LNG) – a first in the history of shipping for Ultra Large Container Vessels.
CMA CGM has chosen TotalEnergies as part of a major industrial partnership to supply them with gas in Rotterdam, Singapore and Marseille. Thereby making CMA CGM the initiator in structuring a genuine LNG field of excellence in maritime transport.
Marseille is the first LNG bunkering hub in France for shipping, for all the Mediterranean and South Europe area, and CMA CGM’s third one to be created after Rotterdam and Singapore.
By the end of 2024, the CMA CGM Group aspires to have a fleet of 44 LNG-powered vessels, “e-methane ready” of various sizes and 24 are already in service. The engines deployed on these vessels already have the technical capability of using bio-methane (already in use) and e-methane, a carbon-neutral fuel, making them simultaneously an immediate and a long-term solution to the challenge of decarbonization.
This LNG bunkering operation is an important milestone for our group, in many ways. It sets France and Marseille maritime and port cluster on the frontline for the decarbonization of shipping. It enhances LNG solutions as the first step of a broader industrial strategy that will take us to alternative fuels such as biomethane and e-methane.
..Christine Cabau, Executive Vice President Operations and Assets of the CMA CGM Group said.
Furthermore, Jérôme Leprince-Ringuet, Vice-President Marine Fuels at TotalEnergies commented that this landmark operation demonstrates their continued support to the growing role of LNG in shipping’s energy transition. ”In line with TotalEnergies’ climate ambition, we will continue to work hand-in-hand with our industry partners to develop and scale up new, lower-carbon and ultimately, zero-carbon fuel solutions for shipping.” he said.
In turn, Hervé Martel, CEO, Port of Marseille Fos, highlighted that this is a new milestone for the port of Marseille Fos, which is undoubtedly an essential LNG hub in the Mediterranean while Cyril Ducau, CEO of Eastern Pacific Shipping said, “By teaming up with environmentally conscious partners such as CMA CGM, TotalEnergies, and the Port of Marseille, shipping companies have the ability to significantly lower their emissions today while developing alternative solutions for tomorrow”
