China's first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering: 7,000 cubic meters of LNG in 10 hours to CMA CGM Symi!

China’s first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering was completed today at the port of Shanghai. The fueling operation was under a long-term agreement with France’s CMA CGM Group and part of China’s efforts to enhance the competitive position of the world’s largest container port to meet the needs of the new generation of large container ships.

CMA CGM Group’s new vessel the 154,700 dwt CMA CGM Symi was recently completed by Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries as part of a class of 22 LNG-fueled containerships being built for Eastern Pacific and operated by the French group.  The containership which measures 1,200 feet in length and has a capacity of 15,000 TEU arrived at the Yangshan Deepwater Port which is part of the massive Shanghai port complex. The fueling operation lasted about 10 hours and loaded approximately 7,000 cubic meters of LNG, while the container loading operations were also underway. The vessel departed Shanghai today, March 15.

With the completion of this joint project, our group is the first shipping line to bunker LNG in China and the first to offer full LNG-fueled container service between China and the U.S. West Coast,” noted Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO of the CMA CGM Group. “By expanding the network of world-class ports offering LNG services, this bunkering marks an important step in the energy transition.”