France’s CMA CGM has stacked its huge orderbook with eight more container ship newbuildings.
It has put pen to paper on an order for eight 9,200-teu methanol dual-fuel vessels at Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS).
The deal is the fourth newbuilding contract for the French shipping and logistics company this year.
TradeWinds first reported news of the CMA CGM order in August 2023, with the shipowner said to have inked a provisional agreement with the Chinese shipyard.
Confirming the deal, state-owned SWS said the 9,200-teu vessels are the largest “midsize” boxships it has contracted to date and its first methanol dual-fuel newbuilding contract.
Financial terms were not disclosed, but CMA CGM is believed to be paying between $125m and $127m per ship, according to industry experts. The ships are due for delivery between late 2026 and 2027.
CMA CGM’s container ship deal at SWS brings its total spending on newbuildings in 2023 to around $6.5bn.
In February, it ordered a dozen 13,000-teu container ship newbuildings at South Korea’s Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries at just over $2bn.
This was followed by six 15,000-teu boxships at Jiangnan Shipyard at about $175m apiece.
In April, it struck a deal with Singapore-listed Yangzijiang Shipbuilding for 10 vessels of 24,000 teu each. CMA CGM selected LNG dual-fuelling for the ships over methanol.
The 24,000-teu newbuildings were believed to be priced in the region of $240m each and are slated to be delivered from 2026 onwards.
Clarksons’ Shipping Intelligence Network lists CMA CGM with 94 newbuildings, excluding the latest order for eight 9,200-teu vessels at SWS.
