CMA CGM Commissions First Methanol Dual-Fuel Container Ship ANTIGONE Built in China
CMA CGM Commissions First Methanol Dual-Fuel Container Ship ANTIGONE Built in China
French container shipping and logistics group CMA CGM has reached another significant milestone in its low-carbon fleet transformation. On December 11, the company formally named and took delivery of the methanol dual-fuel container ship CMA CGM ANTIGONE at a ceremony held at Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai. The vessel marks CMA CGM's first methanol dual-fuel container ship delivered from a Chinese shipyard and represents the eighteenth vessel produced by the yard for the group.
Representatives from CMA CGM, China Shipbuilding Trading, Jiangnan Shipyard, financial institutions, and classification society Bureau Veritas (BV) attended the ceremony. Harriet Wu, senior advisor at CMA CGM China, served as the ship's godmother. According to company statements, the vessel is under the command of Captain Zhang Zequan and will enter service on the Asia–Middle East–Mediterranean route under the Phoenician Express (BEX2) service.
Kun Series and Jiangnan's Technical Expertise
CMA CGM ANTIGONE is designated as the lead ship of Jiangnan Shipyard's newly developed "Kun" series of methanol dual-fuel ultra-large container vessels. According to Chinese maritime industry sources, this series was developed as an entirely proprietary yard design—an ultra-large, highly efficient platform compatible with next-generation fuel systems.
Jiangnan Shipyard is the only shipyard in China capable of simultaneously designing and building ultra-large container ships with three different fuel options (conventional, LNG, and methanol). This capability strengthens the technical foundation of CMA CGM's long-term strategic partnership with Chinese shipyards.
Novel Construction Processes Applied
For the ANTIGONE project, Jiangnan implemented numerous new construction and testing procedures for the first time, including:
Structural strength tests for methanol tanks in floating dock conditions,
Transfer of a ring section of the methanol tank between yard and vessel,
Pre-lift integrity acceptance of accommodation and deckhouse units,
Elevator systems activation prior to delivery,
Full ship simulation container stowing and lashing tests,
Engine-room power-generation motor activation before floating out,
The yard's first safe methanol bunkering operation
The vessel's time in the floating dock was approximately three and a half months.
Technical Specifications and Safety
CMA CGM ANTIGONE features
a length of 366 metres,
a beam of 51 metres,
a summer deadweight capacity of approximately 156,100 tonnes
The vessel operates under Bureau Veritas classification.
The methanol fuel system was developed under an approved alternative design incorporating rupture discs and spectacle flanges upstream of pressure-relief valves. This configuration enhances operational safety when handling volatile fuels such as methanol.
CMA CGM's Methanol and LNG Strategy
ANTIGONE joins CMA CGM's rapidly expanding methanol-capable fleet. The group operates a 12-ship methanol program, including the 13,000 TEU CMA CGM IRON and sister vessels delivered from South Korean yards in 2025.
CMA CGM has announced investments of approximately $20 billion USD in LNG and methanol-fuelled vessels. The company aims to have more than 150 low-carbon fuel-capable ships in its fleet by 2029. This approach aligns with the group's IMO decarbonization targets, regulatory compliance, and fuel flexibility strategy.
CMA CGM Vice President Xavier Leclercq emphasized that the vessel's construction and delivery resulted from close collaboration between Jiangnan Shipyard, China Shipbuilding Trading, BV, and financial institutions. Hu Hongyu, General Manager Deputy of Jiangnan Shipyard, highlighted that 18 vessels have been delivered to CMA CGM since 2013.
Overall Assessment
The commissioning of CMA CGM ANTIGONE reaffirms that methanol has become one of the main alternative fuels in global container shipping. This investment, combined with Chinese shipyards' technical capabilities, represents a critical step for CMA CGM in both fleet modernization and multiple fuel strategy.
Key Points:
CMA CGM ANTIGONE is CMA CGM's first methanol dual-fuel vessel delivered from China.
Shipyard: Jiangnan Shipyard, Series: Kun.
Dimensions: 366 m length, 51 m beam, 156,100 DWT.
The vessel will serve on the BEX2 (Phoenician Express) route.
Jiangnan is the only shipyard in China capable of building ULCV with three different fuel types.
CMA CGM is targeting 150+ low-carbon vessels by 2029.
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News Link: https://en.portnews.ru/news/385741/
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