VESSEL REVIEW | CMA CGM Mermaid – New LNG-fuelled boxship boasts aerodynamic hull design

French shipping company the CMA CGM Group has taken delivery of a new container vessel built by HD Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in South Korea. The Malta-registered CMA CGM Mermaid is the first in a new series of ten containerships powered by LNG and featuring a new hull design developed to improve energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact.

The newbuild is also one of the first ships in the CMA CGM fleet with the superstructure, 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.

Dual-fuel engine offering operational flexbility

The vessel has a length of 204.29 metres (670.24 feet), a beam of 29.6 metres (97.1 feet), and capacity for 2,000 TEUs. The ship can also load 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.

Power is provided by a 12MW MAN dual-fuel main engine with the LNG fuel cooled to -161° Celsius being fed from a GTT storage tank with a capacity of 1,053 cubic metres (37,190 cubic feet). In conjunction with the unique hull design with an almost inverted straight bow and integrated bulb, the propulsion will enable the vessel to generate as much as 20 per cent fewer emissions of CO2 and 15 per cent lower fuel consumption compared to a ship of similar size sailing over the same distance on conventional very low-sulphur oil.

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. The propulsion system can be configured in the future to allow operation on e-methane produced from decarbonised hydrogen.

The ship will also be equipped with an alternator coupled to the main engine. The alternator will provide the energy needed to power the onboard electrical installations while at sea.

Designed for Mediterranean routes

Design work on the vessel 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 Mermaid and its sisters will transport goods over short distances. The ships will operate mainly in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean.

The delivery of CMA CGM Mermaid is part of CMA CGM's fleet renewal program, in which the group has invested more than US$15 billion. The objective of the fleet renewal is the achieving of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.