CMA CGM names world’s largest French-flagged container ship

The CMA CGM Group has marked the naming ceremony of CMA CGM Notre Damethe latest vessel in its fleet. The ceremony took place in Le Havre on 2 July.

The vessel measures nearly 400m in length and 61m in width, with a capacity of up to 24,000 TEU. It is the largest container ship sailing under the French flag. CMA CGM also claims it is the world’s largest LNG-powered containership. The vessel will operate on the French Asia Line service between Asia and Europe.

Symbol of renewal

“The CMA CGM Notre Dame is the first in a series of ten next-generation container ships that are larger, more efficient and will all be registered under the French flag. This commitment, made by Rodolphe Saadé, reflects the Group’s determination to make a lasting contribution to strengthening France’s maritime sovereignty, supporting the national merchant navy officer training system and promoting the excellence of the French flag on the world’s major trade routes,” the company said.

By 2028, CMA CGM’s French-flagged fleet will grow from 30 to 40 vessels. To support this expansion, the Group will recruit 135 French seafarers.

Looking to the future

Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CMA CGM Group, said: “This vessel also embodies a France that is looking to the future. It reflects the bold industrial choices we have made in recent years to usher maritime transport into a new era. First, decarbonisation, with one of the most advanced LNG propulsion systems, supports our ambition to achieve net zero carbon by 2050. Then artificial intelligence, in which I strongly believe. The CMA CGM Notre Dame is equipped with systems that enable real-time voyage optimisation, improve energy efficiency and enhance the vessel’s environmental performance.”