French shipping company the CMA CGM Group recently held a naming ceremony for the two newest 2,000TEU, LNG-fuelled container vessels to join its fleet.
CMA CGM Sintra (pictured) and CMA CGM Altamira belong to a series of containerships built by HD Hyundai Mipo Dockyard of South Korea. This series includes CMA CGM Mermaid and CMA CGM Alhambra, which were delivered earlier this year.
The two newbuilds have their respective superstructures, along with the bridge and the accommodation spaces, placed at the front. This arrangement ensures better aerodynamic performance and higher loading capacity compared to a vessel of conventional architecture.
Each vessel has a length of 204.29 metres and a beam of 29.6 metres. Space will also be available for 45-foot containers that can be loaded on trailers, thus offering a more energy-efficient alternative to road transport in Europe and the Mediterranean region.
LNG was selected as one of the ship's main fuels due to its reduced emissions of SOx, NOx, and fine particulate matter. The vessel can also run on biogas produced from biowaste.
Design work on the vessels was undertaken by Danish naval architecture firm Odense Maritime Technology. Inputs into the final design were provided by CMA CGM, French shipbuilder Chantiers de l'Atlantique, and South Korea's HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.
CMA CGM Sintra has already departed for Europe on its first operational voyage while CMA CGM Altamira will follow shortly afterwards with its arrival in Rotterdam scheduled for December 10.