French container shipping company CMA CGM Group has received the largest vessel of its fleet, a 17,722-TEU containership that was delivered March 31 in Busan, South Korea. It is scheduled to be christened May 12 in Le Havre, France.
The CMA CGM Kerguelen measures 398 meters (1,305 feet) long and 54 meters (177 feet) wide, making it longer than the Eiffel Tower and wider than the Paris monument Arc de Triomphe.
CMA CGM says the vessel will be positioned in the shipper’s French Asia Line, which links Europe to Asia. Plans are for the ship to export consumer products such as fruit, cheese and meat, as well as luxury products like perfumes, wines and spirits, leather goods and industrial products, including industry automotive, electronics and aeronautics.
Its primary markets will be Asia and the Middle East.
The CMA CGM Kerguelen is the first in a series of six ships of the same size that are expected to be delivered this year. It was named after the 18th century French navigator Yves-Joseph de Kerguelen-Trémarec who discovered an archipelago of islands that was later named Archipelago Kerguelen.
Due to advanced engine design, the CMA CGM Kerguelen is expected to emit 10 percent fewer CO2 emissions than the previous generation of vessels, according to CMA CGM.
