The world’s largest natural gas powered ship

Theo Interesting Engineeringthe CMA CGM Notre Dame is the largest liquefied natural gas cargo ship in operation. The ship is 400 meters long, 62 meters wide and 75 meters high, starting its first commercial journey from Shanghai, China, expected to arrive in Europe before the inauguration ceremony in Le Havre, France, on July 2.

The LNG gas used by the CMA CGM Notre Dame ship is colorless, odorless, non-toxic and non-corrosive, and burns cleaner than conventional marine fuel. The ship has an 18,600 m3 LNG tank, allowing the trip from Asia to Europe to be completed without refueling.

CMA CGM Notre Dame can also operate on conventional fuel, providing flexibility at ports without LNG bunkering infrastructure. When running on LNG, the ship reduces sulfur dioxide and fine dust emissions by 99%, nitrogen dioxide emissions by 85% and carbon dioxide emissions by 20%, far exceeding international regulations.

In addition, the design of the CMA CGM Notre Dame ship was upgraded to accommodate an additional 280 containers without increasing in size. The ship is also equipped with many advanced energy management solutions to effectively provide electricity and ventilation for reefer containers through 1,600 dedicated sockets. The ship also uses energy-saving technology such as an aerodynamic windshield system that helps reduce drag and fuel consumption. Engineers integrate digital technology to improve ships’ efficiency and safety at sea.

According to the company, the cockpit is designed to help the crew navigate more safely, with a real-time positioning system. The ship also uses an advanced path prediction system to improve navigation. Some onboard activities are supported by artificial intelligence to help optimize routes, adjust speed and control power consumption.

Currently, the ship has been deployed on CMA CGM’s France – Asia (FAL) service connecting the ports of Shanghai, Ningbo, Yantian, Singapore, Le Havre, Rotterdam, Hamburg and Tangier Med. Located at one of the world’s main trade gateways, this route is vital to Europe’s supply chains. The entire round-trip journey lasts about 102 days. Despite its high level of automation, the ship still requires a crew of about 30 people led by captain Nicolas Le Scornet.