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CMA CGM’s subsidiary Containerships has ordered its second container ship to be powered by liquified natural gas (LNG).
The 1,380 teu ship will be deployed on the weekly BALT-2 service between Teesport, Zeebrugge, Rotterdam, Helsinki, St Petersburg, Riga, Gdynia and Teesport.
The Containerships Polar vessel was built in Guangzhou Wenchong shipyard in China and will start its service in Rotterdam on the 23rd of June.
It will run on the same service as the LNG-powered Containerships Nord and will soon be joined by LNG-powered Containerships Arctic and Aurora.
CMA CGM has enthusiastically embranced LNG and will operate 20 LNG-powered vessels by 2022.
The company claims that, compared to Heavy Fuel Oil, LNG reduces sulphur and fine particle emissions by 99% and nitrogen oxides emissions by 85%.
However, it only reduces Carbon Dioxide (Co2) emissions by 25%. Critics have said this is unlikely to be enough of a reduction to meet the environmental regulations of a future – and that a zero-carbon fuel might be needed instead.