Maritime technology company Wärtsilä will supply French ocean carrier CMA CGM with methanol-fuelled auxiliary engines.
The engines have been ordered for six 15,000 TEU container ships being built at China’s Dalian Shipbuilding yard. Wärtsilä received the order in the second quarter of the year.
According to a statement, the six container vessels are the first CMA CGM ships to be ordered using methanol fuel. Methanol is said to be crucial to the company’s present decarbonisation goals since it emits fewer pollutants than diesel and can be generated from sustainable, renewable-based energy sources.
The entire Wärtsilä scope for each vessel includes three six-cylinder and one seven-cylinder Wärtsilä 32M engines with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems. The delivery of the engines will start in late 2024, while the vessels are expected to be ready in autumn 2025.
“Our goal is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. By fitting our future fleet with methanol systems, we will be making a serious contribution towards achieving this target,” stated Xavier Leclercq, vice president of CMA Ships, a 100% subsidiary of the CMA CGM Group in charge of the owned fleet, fleet upgrade & retrofit and the CMA CGM newbuilding portfolio.
