CMA CGM Notre Dame begins voyage as LNG-powered giant

It is the first in a 10-vessel rollout from 2026 to 2028.

CMA CGM Notre Dame, the world’s largest French-flagged containership, has begun commercial operations with an inaugural call at Yangshan Port in Shanghai on 22 May.

In a press release, CMA CGM said in the 24,212 twenty-foot equivalent unit vessel is the first in a series of 10 liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered ships to be delivered between 2026 and 2028, which will be deployed on the French Asia Line, a route linking Asia and Northern Europe.

The ship is 400 metres long, 62 metres wide, and 75 metres high, and operates with an LNG propulsion system and carries an 18,600-cubic-metre LNG tank. It also has a capacity of up to 1,600 refrigerated container plugs.

CMA CGM has assigned the vessel to a rotation of around 102 days, with the route including calls at Ningbo, Shanghai, Yantian, Singapore, Le Havre, Rotterdam, Hamburg, and Tanger Med.

The company said the vessel incorporates digital navigation systems, artificial intelligence tools, and energy management systems.

It also includes a digitalised bridge with real-time navigation tools, augmented reality systems, trajectory prediction, and 360-degree visualisation.

Fleet centres in Marseille, Miami, and Singapore will monitor operations and support decision-making.

The vessel is registered under the French International Register, with CMA CGM stating it recruited 135 French seafarers to operate the 10-vessel series.

The ship includes systems designed to reduce fuel consumption, including an aerodynamic windshield system, alongside optimised architecture that increases capacity by 580 containers without changing external dimensions.

The vessel forms part of CMA CGM’s fleet renewal programme and its stated target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The ship operates under a crew of around 25 seafarers under the command of Master Nicolas Le Scornet.