![This is what 21st century container ships look like. CMA CGM Mermaid debuts at the Port of Gdańsk - MarinePoland.com This is what 21st century container ships look like. CMA CGM Mermaid debuts at the Port of Gdańsk - MarinePoland.com](https://www.marinepoland.com/zdjecia/artykul/2076/6988/1200x0/2/mermaid.jpg)
Today,
a spectacular moment took place at the Baltic Hub terminal in the
Port of Gdańsk – the first call of the modern container ship CMA
CGM Mermaid.
The
204-meter ship, which set off on its maiden voyage from Korea,
overcoming the Cape of Good Hope, has arrived in Europe, presenting
the latest achievements in maritime technology and shipping.
CMA
CGM Mermaid is a pioneering ship in a series of ten 2,000 TEU vessels
that will be gradually put into service on the routes of Northern
Europe and the Mediterranean.
The container ship was designed
by the French shipyard Chantiers de l’Atlantique and the Danish
company Odense Marine Technique. It was built in the Korean Hyundai
Mipo Dockyard (HMD). The introduction of these ships to feeder lines
in Europe is part of the CMA CGM group’s decarbonization strategy.
The shipowner expects that these ships will be used to transfer cargo
that is currently transported by more emission-intensive land
transport. The use of innovative design and LNG fuel technology
allows for a reduction of CO2 emissions by up to 20% compared to
traditional ships.
The vessels feature several innovative
solutions. First of all, these are the first CMA CGM container ships
with a superstructure at the bow, which has improved aerodynamic
properties and load capacity. The bow of the ships also has a new
shape with an integrated bulbous bow, which provides better
hydrodynamic properties and allows for a reduction in fuel
consumption by up to 15 percent, while ensuring greater
maneuverability. The last feeder of the French carrier in this
series, which is to be delivered at the end of the year, will also be
equipped with fuel cells that will generate energy from hydrogen,
which will ensure zero emission of the ship while moored in ports.
Hyundai Mipo in South Korea
received an order to build a series of vessels in late 2021. CMA CGM
says the first six ships will join its Northern European line,
sailing the Baltic and to Scandinavian ports from Hamburg and
Bremerhaven between April and July 2024. Four additional ships will
start serving Mediterranean routes between September and the end of
the year.
CMA CGM said it was investing more than $15 billion
in fleet renewal as part of its transition to net-zero carbon
emissions. The group has already deployed more than 30 ships, about
five percent of its 620-ship fleet, powered by alternative fuels. The
French giant said it would have almost 120 ships powered by
low-emission fuels by 2028.