Following the world’s largest container ship owner MSC placing a batch of new ship orders, the world’s third-ranked French shipping company CMA CGM is also pushing forward a new shipbuilding plan worth over US$2 billion and is in talks with Asian shipyards.
According to foreign media reports, CMA CGM is advancing a new shipbuilding plan worth more than US$2.2 billion, planning to build up to 12 20,000TEU to 24,000TEU liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel powered ultra-large container ships, each costing between US$180 million and US$220 million, with delivery expected between 2028 and 2029.
Currently, CMA CGM is in talks with five Asian shipyards on the shipbuilding project, including two Chinese shipyards and three Korean shipyards: HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean and Samsung Heavy Industries.
It is said that the new shipbuilding plan has nothing to do with fleet expansion, but is a well-thought-out geopolitical strategy.
In addition, CMA CGM will choose LNG instead of methanol fuel for its new ships due to factors such as fuel scalability and cost. The company believes that LNG is more in line with current industry standards and is compatible with bio-liquefied natural gas.
At the beginning of this year, CMA CGM placed orders for up to 24 LNG dual-fuel large container ships with Chinese and Korean shipyards, including 8+4 18,000TEU container ships from Jiangnan Shipyard, with each ship costing approximately US$208 million. They are expected to be delivered between 2028 and 2029, with a total value of nearly US$2.5 billion; and 12 18,000TEU container ships from HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, with each ship costing approximately US$215 million. They are expected to be delivered before December 2028, with a total value of nearly US$2.6 billion.
If the latest proposed shipbuilding plan is implemented, it means that CMA CGM will invest at least US$7 billion in the new shipbuilding market this year and will add 36 ships to its order book.
In addition, ship brokerage sources said that CMA CGM is also considering ordering container ships with specifications ranging from 1,000 TEU to 6,000 TEU.
Founded in 1978 and still privately owned by the Saadé family, CMA CGM first reached 1 million TEU in 2009, surpassed 2 million TEU in 2016, reached 3 million TEU in 2021, and surpassed 4 million TEU in 2025.
The company has the second-largest orderbook in the container market, excluding projects under negotiation. It has 95 newbuildings under construction, totaling 1.5 million TEU, with the majority being built by Chinese shipyards.