Total will supply LNG to CMA CGM’s future containerships in Marseille
Total and CMA CGM have signed an agreement for the supply of approximately 270,000 tonnes per year of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) over 10 years. This volume will cover the supply at Marseille-Fos of CMA CGM’s future 15,000-TEU container ships that will operate between Asia and the Mediterranean, that are scheduled for delivery starting in 2021.
A pioneer in the use of LNG to power ultra-large container vessels, CMA CGM has chosen to retain Total Marine Fuels Global Solutions, Total’s business unit dedicated to worldwide bunkering activities.
As part of this agreement, Total will provide a suitable solution for the bunkering of these containerships with the positioning of a LNG Bunker Vessel at the port of Marseille-Fos and a complementary bunkering solution in Singapore. These new supply chains will further expand the use of LNG as a marine fuel, particularly in the Mediterranean Sea.
CMA CGM and Total confirm their commitment to France, particularly in favour of the Marseille-Fos business hub where they are both key economic players. Deeply attached to Marseille, the starting point of its global entrepreneurial adventure, the CMA CGM Group has been committed to the development of the region and its port for more than 40 years.
On this occasion, Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the CMA CGM Group, declared: “Liquefied Natural Gas is the only energy currently available and reliable to significantly reduce our carbon footprint. The choice of LNG to power our ships requires the complete adaptation of the entire energy supply chain and infrastructure. By choosing Marseille-Fos as a refuelling port for our 15,000-TEU vessels, from the end of 2021, we are bringing the French container ports into this major energy transition.”
For Patrick Pouyanné, CEO of Total: “The development of Liquefied Natural Gas as a marine fuel is at the heart of our LNG strategy. This new contract with CMA CGM results in the launch of a dedicated supply chain in the port of Marseille-Fos. Total is committed to working with its customers to offer them more environmentally friendly marine fuels and thus contributes positively to the sustainable evolution of maritime transport, particularly in the Mediterranean basin.”