The vessel is the fifth of the nine 23,000 container ships ordered in 2017 by CMA CGM from China State Shipbuilding Corporation and the third vessel in the Hudong Zhonghua series.

In December 2020, the French container shipping giant CMA CGM named its fourth ultra-large 23,000 TEU LNG-powered containership, the CMA CGM Louvre.

Another four 23,000TEU dual-fuel container ships will join the CMA CGM fleet in the first half of 2021, the shipbuilder said.

As part of its transition to become carbon neutral by 2050, CMA CGM will own 26 LNG-powered ships by 2022. An LNG-powered vessel is expected to emit up to 20 percent less CO2 than fuel-powered systems.

The ULCVs will feature dual-fuel WinGD engines and the 18,600-cbm fuel tank of the GTT, both of which are the largest ever built.

Hudong Zhonghua said the ship's integrity had been significantly improved compared to previous ships prior to conventional sea trials. In record time, the vessel also completed generator and boiler gas tests that shortened the construction period of the vessel.

Maritime Business World