[230215.EN.SEA] 9,400-TEU CMA CGM Loire and 10,900-TEU CMA CGM Ural Join Fleet

THE 9,400 TEU CMA CGM Loire and the 10,900-TEU CMA CGM Ural, with an unprecedented number of 1,458 reefer plugs, has joined the Marseilles-based company fleet.

"These are the fifth and sixth vessels in this range to be delivered from now to the third quarter of 2016." said the statement from CMA CGM, the world's third biggest container shipping company.

Other ships in the series of 28 are the CMA CGM Danube, the CMA CGM Elbe, the CMA CGM Litani and the CMA CGM Tigris in a series of 28 vessels named after famous rivers.

Sailing under the Maltese flag, the chartered CMA CGM Loire was build at DSIC in Dalian while the CMA CGM Ural was built at New Times Shipbuilding, Jiangsu province outside Shanghai.

Each ship is 300 metres long, 48 metres wide, designed to offer a maximum load within the limits of the Bosphorus Strait for Black Sea service.

With its extraordinary number of reefer plugs, the largest number for ships of this size, indicates CMA CGM's "ambition to be a leader in this growing market", said the company statement.

The CMA CGM Loire has joined the Bosphorus Express (BEX) service where the CMA CGM Danube, the CMA CGM Elbe and the CMA CGM Litani now serve. The Loire will rotate through Dalian, Tianjin, Kwangyang, Busan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen-Chiwan, Shenzhen-Yantian, Tanjung Pelepas, Izmit, Istanbul Ambarli, Constanza, Odessa, Ilyichevsk, Port Said, Port Kelang, Singapore and back to Dalian.

Meanwhile the CMA CGM Ural joined the Mediterranean Club Express (MEX) rotating through Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen-Yantian, Shenzhen-Chiwan, Port Kelang, Malta, Valencia, Barcelona, Marseilles-Fos, Malta, Salalah, Port Kelang, Xiamen and back to Shanghai.

The new ships are equipped with all the latest environmental technologies, which significantly reduce its C02 emissions as well new bulbous bows, improving the hydrodynamics at a speeds of 16 to 18 knots.

The newbuilds also feature electronically controlled long stroke engines with exhaust gas bypass systems offering the best in fuel consumption, a twisted leading edge rudder with bulb and a ballast water treatment system.

Source : HKSG.