The French container line giant announced Thursday that it would invest in 12,000 tonnes of guaranteed-of-origin biomethane, enough to power two 1,400-teu LNG-fueled ships for an entire year on the Balt3 line in the north of France. Europe between Saint Petersburg and Rotterdam.
Biomethane is a renewable green gas produced, among other things, from organic and plant waste from European farms and recovered in anaerobic digestion units. This source of energy is a virtuous example of a circular economy and strong support for the agricultural sector.
By supporting the biomethane production sector, CMA CGM is stepping up its commitment to the energy transition of maritime transport. CMA CGM wishes to go further in the development of this sector by investing in biomethane production units and by studying the feasibility of liquefaction processes for the use of biomethane as a marine fuel.
The Group claims to have reduced its overall CO2 emissions by 4% in 2020 after having reduced them by 6% in 2019. Since 2008, the Group has reduced its CO2 emissions by 49% per container transported per kilometer.
The biomethane solution as a guarantee of origin combined with the dual fuel gas engine technology developed by CMA CGM makes it possible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (including CO2) by at least 67% in well to wake ( the complete value chain). The tank-to-wake measure (ship-wide) achieves an 88% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (including CO2).
According to CMA-CGM, LNG is the best solution, immediately available, to reduce the carbon footprint of maritime transport and preserve air quality. This fuel reduces sulfur dioxide emissions by 99%, fine particle emissions by 91% and nitrogen dioxide emissions by 92%, well above current regulatory standards. By 2022, 32 of the Group’s vessels will be powered by LNG.
Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO of the CMA CGM Group declared: “A new step has been taken with the launch of the first low-carbon maritime service offering based on biomethane. We know there is still a long way to go to meet the commitments of the Paris Agreement. Achieving these goals does not rely on a single solution, but on a set of initiatives and new technologies complementary to each other “. Photo of the Okee August, a 1550 TEU container ship courtesy of Marine Traffic.
