On the occasion of the trip to Martinique and Guadeloupe, Rodolphe Sadé, the CEO of the CMA CGM group announced the order for seven new biogas-powered ships to serve Guadeloupe and Martinique from 2024, including three of 7900 TEUs and four of 7300 TEUs.

In order to accommodate these larger capacity ships, the CMA CGM Group will support the modernization and increase in capacity of the major seaports of Guadeloupe and Martinique, and the expansion of the quays. True hubs of the Caribbean and South America, Fort-de-France and Pointe-à-Pitre will be the starting point for transhipment traffic to Guyana, Saint Martin, Saint-Barthélemy and the North-East of Brazil.

Through its new investments, the Group has declared that it wants to affirm its support for its customers, partners and more broadly for the economy of Martinique and Guadeloupe. CMA CGM transports 100% of bananas from the French West Indies, or West Indies, to France. Guadeloupe and Martinique are overseas departments of France, the country with the most time zones in the world, with territories stretching from the Caribbean to the Pacific.

Committed to the energy transition, the CMA CGM Group has set itself a goal of Net Zero Carbon by 2050. The 7 new ships deployed in the West Indies in 2 years will be powered by biogas, a technology that contributes to significantly reducing carbon emissions, greenhouse gases and the preservation of air quality by eliminating almost all atmospheric pollutants.

Biogas from biomass reduces CO2 emissions by 67% compared to conventional fuel and reduces sulfur oxide emissions by 99%, fine particle emissions by 91% and air pollution by 92%. nitrogen oxide emissions. It therefore contributes significantly to the improvement of air quality. The gas engine bi-fuel technology developed by CMA CGM since 2017 can use biogas as well as synthetic methane. CMA CGM already has 31 “e-methane ready” container ships in its fleet equipped with dual-fuel engines. It will have 77 such ships by 2026.Photo: Grand Port de Guadeloupe