New Containership Enters CMA CGM Fleet

Newbuild containership CMA CGM Volga entered the CMA CGM fleet on March 17, and began her first rotation in Dalian, China, on March 20, the CMA CGM Group announced.

The 10,622 TEUs vessel is the eight of a series of 28 ships from 9,400-10,900 TEUs that will be delivered through third quarter of 2016. The CMA CGM Danube, CMA CGM Elbe, CMA CGM Litani, CMA CGM Tigris, CMA CGM Loire, CMA CGM Ural and CMA CGM Rhone are the firsts of this series of 28 vessels named after famous rivers that started being delivered on June 30, 2014.

Sailing under the Malta flag, she was built in the Chinese NTS shipyards – New Times Shipbuilding, Jiangsu, China.

With its 300 meters length and 48 meters width, the vessel was designed to offer a maximal loading capacity while meeting the technical constraints of the Strait of the Bosphorus. With a 1,458 40’ reefer plugs capacity, the CMA CGM group said Volga embodies its ambition to be a leader in this growing market.

Operated on the group’s Bosphorus Express (BEX) line, the CMA CGM Volga will offer direct service between Asia, Turkey and the Black Sea. Accordingly, it will call Dalian, Tianjin, Kwangyang, Busan, Shanghai, Ningbo, Chiwan, Yantian, Tanjung Pelepas, Izmit, Istambul Ambarli, Constanza, Odessa, Ilyichevsk, Port Said, Port Kelang, Singapore, and once again Dalian.

The ship is equipped with environmental technologies to reduce its C02 emissions, as well as the group’s carbon footprint. More particularly, it is equipped with new bulbous bow shapes improving the hydrodynamics of the vessel at a speed of 16 to18 knots.

The vessel features an electronically controlled long stroke engine with an exhaust gas bypass system, a twisted leading edge rudder with bulb and a ballast water treatment system.