CMA CGM registers ten 24,000 TEU LNG vessels under French flag
The new vessels will operate under French law and are compatible with biomethane and e-methane.;
CMA CGM announced on 4 November 2025 that it will register ten new 24,000 TEU dual-fuel LNG containerships under the French flag, with deliveries starting in 2026.
The decision, revealed by Chairman and CEO Rodolphe Saadé at the 20th Assises de l’Économie de la Mer, will see the ships deployed on the Asia–Northern Europe route with regular calls at Le Havre and Dunkirk. The initiative will create 135 new jobs for French seafarers trained at the French National Maritime Academy (ENSM).
Rodolphe Saadé said, “Powered by liquefied natural gas, they reflect our confidence in France’s maritime sector and its people. These vessels will serve two major French ports, Le Havre and Dunkirk, on the Asia–Northern Europe route, reinforcing our presence in France at a time when the sea plays an increasingly strategic role in global economic and geopolitical dynamics.”
The new vessels, each with a capacity of 24,212 TEUs, will operate under French law and are compatible with biomethane and e-methane. CMA CGM said the ships will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 85% compared to conventional fuels and will comply with stringent safety and working standards under the French International Register (RIF).
The decision reinforces France’s maritime competitiveness and supports national sovereignty in global shipping. The ships’ construction involves French and European suppliers, including GTT for LNG tanks and Bureau Veritas for certification.
Each ship will carry the name of a French monument or landmark: CMA CGM Notre Dame, Panthéon, Orsay, Luxembourg, Pont Neuf, Versailles, Austerlitz, Nation, Cluny, and Longchamp. CMA CGM said these names reflect national pride and the company’s ambition to advance French maritime excellence.
The group said registration under the French flag is more than symbolic, as it strengthens employment and training opportunities while expanding the French maritime sector’s contribution to the national economy. The move comes as France seeks to reinforce its maritime and industrial sovereignty amid global trade and supply chain challenges.