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The 400-meter long and 62-meter wide container ship CMA CGM NOTRE DAME docked at the Port of Hamburg on July 12, 2026. It is the largest container ship sailing under the French flag and belongs to the shipping company CMA CGM. With a capacity of 24,212 TEU, it is the first of ten identical LNG-powered large container ships that will be put into service in the coming years.
The CMA CGM NOTRE DAME was launched on July 2, 2026, in Le Havre, France, and is part of the FAL-3 (French Asia Line), one of the most significant Asia-Europe services of the shipping company. This route connects major ports such as Ningbo, Shanghai, Yantian, Singapore, Le Havre, Rotterdam, Hamburg, and Tanger Med in a rotation of approximately 105 days.
Significance for the Port of Hamburg
The maiden call of the CMA CGM NOTRE DAME is regarded by Axel Mattern, board member of Hafen Hamburg Marketing e.V., as evidence of Hamburg’s central role in Asia-Europe traffic. Mattern emphasizes that the introduction of this generation of ships also reflects Hamburg’s ambition as a progressive and sustainable port.
The ship is powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and has an LNG tank with a capacity of 18,600 m³. Additionally, it is equipped with an aerodynamic wind shield that reduces energy consumption, as well as intelligent energy management systems. The CMA CGM NOTRE DAME can connect up to 1,600 refrigerated containers (reefers) and, thanks to an optimized design, transports 280 more containers than previous ships of this size class from the shipping company. A digitized command bridge enables real-time navigation and utilizes augmented reality systems and AI-supported technologies to optimize route planning, speed, and energy consumption.
The ship is registered under the French flag and is listed in the French International Ship Register (RIF). It is the first of ten identical units to be delivered between 2026 and 2028, named after significant landmarks of French cultural heritage.
Hamburg’s Role in Global Container Traffic
The Port of Hamburg is one of the leading European hubs in trade between Asia and Europe. Currently, 19 regular container liner services are offered, ensuring close connections to the major economic centers of Asia. In 2025, more than half of the container throughput—around 4.2 million TEU—was attributed to this shipping region.
CMA CGM’s decision to bring its most modern generation of ships to the FAL-3 route to Hamburg, as well as the planned acquisition of a 20 percent stake in the EUROGATE Container Terminal Hamburg, underscores the high significance of the Port of Hamburg in global container traffic.
