On December 12, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding delivered the world’s largest 24,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container ship “CMA CGM Vendôme” to France’s CMA CGM Group, eight and a half months ahead of schedule. This milestone marks the company’s full completion of its 2025 production and operational targets.
The CMA CGM Vendôme measures 399 meters in length overall, 61.3 meters in beam, and has a design draft of 14.5 meters. Its total container capacity is equivalent to the combined load of 480 China-Europe freight trains. Equipped with an 18,600m³ Mark III LNG fuel tank, the vessel can achieve a clean-fuel range of nearly 20,000 nautical miles.
Compared to traditional fuel-powered vessels, CMA CGM Vendôme reduces carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 20%, nitrogen oxides by 85%, and particulate matter and sulfur oxides by 99%, significantly minimizing environmental pollution and fully meeting the world’s most stringent environmental standards. Simultaneously, it achieves industry-leading performance in fuel efficiency, speed, safety and crew comfort.
With the early delivery of the CMA CGM Vendôme, Hudong-Zhonghua has now built 14 dual-fuel container ships for CMA CGM, marking a new phase in their strategic partnership and serving as a successful model of Sino-French collaboration in green shipping technology and advanced manufacturing.
With the addition of the “CMA CGM Vendôme”, Hudong-Zhonghua has contributed three 24,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container ships to CMA CGM’s green fleet. The first vessel, “CMA CGM Seine”, was delivered in April this year, and the second vessel, “CMA CGM Saint-Germain”, was delivered in June this year.
As a leading global container shipbuilder, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding has achieved full coverage of ultra-large container ships ranging from 1,714 TEUs to over 24,000 TEUs over the past 40 years, with many of its ship types leading the world in various indicators.
Especially in the construction of ultra-large container ships, in order to solve the problem of torsional fracture in ultra-large container ships, Hudong-Zhonghua broke the international monopoly and overcame the problem of welding high-strength crack-arresting steel. To meet the demand for the ultra-large cargo capacity of this super “green cargo champion”, Hudong-Zhonghua has developed over 20 advanced lashing bridges to ensure safe loading. To shorten the construction cycle, Hudong-Zhonghua has adopted the “block pre-outfitting + modular assembly” process, and applied new technologies such as digital hatch cover installation, digital container stacking, and 3D digital scanning of hulls at key stages. These measures have driven a substantial leap in efficiency, leading China’s ultra-large container ship construction technology to reach an internationally advanced level.
By continuously launching green and intelligent ship designs, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding has become the preferred partner for global shipowners ordering various types of container ships. Currently, Hudong-Zhonghua holds orders for 37 container ships, with all partners being world-renowned shipping companies. Production schedules are already booked through 2028. The completion of 100 large container ships represents the culmination of Hudong-Zhonghua’s commitment to independent innovation and deep cultivation of high-end manufacturing, marking a qualitative leap in China’s shipbuilding capacity and efficiency.