The CMA CGM Group has taken delivery of the ‘CMA CGM Notre Dame’, a new-generation LNG-powered vessel and the largest containership currently operating under the French flag.
The vessel has begun its maiden commercial voyage in Shanghai, before arriving in France and Europe in early July. With this vessel, CMA CGM continues the modernisation of its fleet and reaffirms its commitment to the energy transition of maritime transport, while strengthening its capacity to support the growth of global trade.
At 400m long, 62m wide, and 75m high, the CMA CGM Notre Dame is designed to carry up to 24,212 TEU. Deployed on the French Asia Line, the Group’s service connecting Asia and Europe, the vessel operates on a rotation of approximately 102 days, calling at ports including Ningbo, Shanghai, Yantian, Singapore, Le Havre, Rotterdam, Hamburg and Tangier Med. This route is considered one of the world’s main trade corridors and plays a key role in supplying European economies.
The CMA CGM Notre Dame embodies a new generation of LNG-powered containerships combining scale, performance and energy efficiency, aligned with the Group’s ambition to achieve net zero carbon by 2050. Beyond its LNG propulsion system, the vessel incorporates equipment designed to reduce its environmental footprint throughout operations, including an aerodynamic windshield system that lowers energy consumption and an 18,600m³ LNG tank ensuring autonomy on Asia-Europe routes. It features smart energy-management solutions, particularly for powering and ventilating refrigerated containers, with a capacity of 1,600 reefer plugs.
The design has been optimised to increase carrying capacity by 280 containers without increasing the vessel’s dimensions. It is registered under the French International Register (RIF), as will be the entire series of 10 ships. This decision, announced in November 2025 by Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO, CMA CGM Group, is accompanied by the recruitment of 135 French seafarers.
A digitalised bridge and next-generation navigation tools include embedded artificial intelligence to help optimise routes, adjust speed and control the vessel’s energy consumption. These systems are supported by CMA CGM’s Fleet Centres located in Marseille, Miami and Singapore, which continuously monitor the global fleet and support crews in operational decision-making.
Image: ‘CMA CGM Notre Dame’ (source: CMA CGM Group)
