Shanghai Jiangnan-Changxing Shipyard has launched the world’s largest container ship (23,000 TEUs) powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). It is the first in a new fleet of nine vessels for shipping company CMA CGM. A time-lapse shows the ship being built.
The vessels are 400 metres long and 61 metres wide and will join the CMA CGM fleet in 2020 on the French Asia Line (Asia-Northern Europe). The vessels will sail under the French flag.
Bridge with Augmented Reality
In addition to operating on LNG and thereby significantly reducing emissions, the vessels also feature a state-of-the-art bridge design. This bridge design brings four innovations:
- a tactical display offering enhanced map views for more dynamic navigation briefings;
- a path prediction system optimised to display the ship’s predicted position in the next three minutes;
- a smart eye system projecting a bird’s-eye view of the ship’s surrounding area; and
- augmented reality screens offering the crew precise information on the ship’s rate of rotation, distance from the wharf and transverse speeds.
The first vessel in this new class of 23,000-TEU LNG-powered container ships, the CMA CGM Jacques Saade named after the founder of the CMA CGM Group, will also be equipped with a smart system to manage ventilation for the reefer containers carried in the hold.
Optimised Hull Forms
To further improve the environmental performance of the CMA CGM Jacques Saade and its sisterships, the hull form has been hydrodynamically optimised. The bulb has been seamlessly integrated into the hull profile and the bow is straight. The propeller and rudder blade have also been improved, along with the Becker Twisted Fin.
