World’s Largest LNG Container Ship from CMA CGM Docks in Hamburg

The Port of Hamburg welcomes the world’s largest LNG-powered container ship. The Jacques Saadé is the LNG container ship of the Megamax class at the Eurogate terminal.

(Hamburg) – With a length of 400 meters, a width of 61 meters, and a height of 78 meters, the Jacques Saadé is among the largest container ships in the world. The Megamax-class ship uses Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as fuel, making it unique so far.

The tank holds 18,600 cubic meters of the liquefied gas. This amount allows for a round trip of 23,372 nautical miles between Asia and Northern Europe. Four layers of insulation in the tank, including a casing made of stainless steel and high-tech sensors, ensure safety. “The CMA CGM Jacques Saadé is a symbol of our sustainability goals and represents our pioneering role in shipping regarding the use of LNG. Therefore, we are very proud of the inaugural arrival of our new flagship,” says Peter Wolf, Managing Director of CMA CGM Deutschland GmbH, adding: “The ship and all ships of this series that will set sail monthly from now on will play a key role in the regular traffic between Asia and Europe. An important hub in this regard is the Port of Hamburg – a port to which CMA CGM founder Jacques Saadé had a close connection throughout his life.”

CMA CGM Plans Nine Megamax Ships with LNG

The CMA CGM Jacques Saadé is the first of nine ships in this series that will be gradually put into service in the coming years. The following eight sister ships will be named after iconic Parisian landmarks and locations: CMA CGM Champs-Elysées, CMA CGM Palais Royal, CMA CGM Louvre, CMA CGM Rivoli, CMA CGM Montmartre, CMA CGM Concorde, CMA CGM Trocadéro, CMA CGM Sorbonne.

Jacques Saadé as a Regular Visitor in Hamburg

The CMA CGM Jacques Saadé is on its way to the Port of Hamburg. © HHM/Hasenpusch

The CMA CGM Group operates the Megamax-class ship on the French Asia Line (FAL 1) between Asia and Europe. It departs from Tianjin Xingang (China) and then docks in Busan (South Korea), Ningbo (China), Shanghai (China), Yantian (China), Singapore (Singapore), and Le Havre. The return journey starts in Le Havre, passing through Dunkirk, Hamburg, Rotterdam, Southampton, Algeciras, and Port Klang back to Tianjin Xingang. Thus, the CMA CGM Jacques Saadé will be regularly seen in Hamburg.

“We are pleased to welcome the world’s largest LNG-powered container ship, the CMA CGM Jacques Saadé, at the Port of Hamburg,” says Jens Meier, CEO of the Hamburg Port Authority, adding: “For us, this call is a great signal from our partner CMA CGM for the entire industry towards sustainable and innovative technologies.”

LNG as a Future-Proof Fuel

LNG is considered an alternative fuel to diesel. The liquefied gas reduces particulate matter and sulfur dioxide emissions by up to 99 percent each, nitrogen oxides by up to 85 percent, and carbon dioxide by up to 20 percent. The Port of Hamburg and the metropolitan region are intensively working to expand and promote innovative technologies. Ingo Egloff, board member at Hafen Hamburg Marketing, emphasizes: “With the arrival of the first LNG container ship of the Megamax class, it is clear that the Port of Hamburg is on the right track with its initiatives for sustainable fuels. The development and construction of the first LNG hub in Brunsbüttel and the establishment of a green port in Hamburg.”

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Image: © Hafen Hamburg Marketing e.V. 2020