en.Wedoany.com Reported - The CMA CGM Notre Dame has completed its first call at the Port of Rotterdam. This dual-fuel vessel, flying the French flag, is currently the world's largest container ship powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), with an LNG tank capacity of 18,600 cubic meters.
In addition to LNG, the CMA CGM Notre Dame can also operate entirely on bio-LNG and, in the future, on synthetic fuels such as e-methane.
The vessel has a capacity of 24,212 TEUs, including 1,600 reefer containers. Measuring nearly 400 meters in length and 61 meters in width, it is also the largest container ship flying the French flag.
During its visit to Rotterdam, the ship was bunkered for the first time with European-produced bio-LNG, derived from organic waste from agriculture and the agri-food industry. Bio-LNG (liquid biomethane) is a renewable fuel that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by at least 67% over its entire lifecycle compared to fossil marine fuels.
Toon Pierré, General Manager of the CMA CGM Benelux cluster, stated that the company is proud to welcome the CMA CGM Notre Dame to Rotterdam. This call reflects the strong long-term partnership between CMA CGM and the Port of Rotterdam, as well as their shared commitment to a more efficient, innovative, and sustainable maritime industry, while continuing to offer customers first-class connectivity.
The Notre Dame is also renowned for its advanced technology. The fully digitalized bridge utilizes artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and real-time navigation systems to assist the crew in safely maneuvering the vessel and optimizing routes, speed, and energy consumption. Additionally, the ship is equipped with aerodynamic windshields and an intelligent energy management system for container refrigeration, among other features.
This vessel is the first in a series of ten container ships named after iconic French monuments. These ships will be delivered between 2026 and 2028. The Notre Dame will be deployed on the French Asia Line (FAL), a regular liner service between Asia and Europe. Over a voyage of approximately 102 days, the service will call at ports including Ningbo, Shanghai, Yantian, Singapore, Le Havre, Rotterdam, Hamburg, and Tangier Med.
