CSSC Holdings said in a stock exchange filing that its unit Jinagnan has signed a contract on Friday to build LNG dual-fuel container vessels.
The order is worth between 18 billion yuan and 19 billion yuan, or between $2.47 billion and $2.6 billion.
CSSC Holdings said the deliveries will take place in 2028 and 2029.
The group said that the shipowner is Jiangnan’s long-term partner, but it did not provide further details.
Shipbuilding sources told LNG Prime that CMA CGM has ordered these vessels.
Last month, LNG Prime was the first to report that CMA CGM and CSSC’s Jiangnan signed a letter of intent for 12 LNG dual-fuel vessels with a capacity of 18,000 teu.
This means that the partners have now finalized the shipbuilding deal.
Based on the CSSC Holdings announcement, each of the LNG dual-fuel containerships is worth between $205 million and $215 million.
LNG-powered fleet
Jianganan and CMA CGM have been cooperating for years. Jiangnan previously built, along Hudong-Zhonghua, the first batch of CMA CGM’s giant 23,000-teu LNG-powered containerships, as well as other sizes such as the six 15,000-teu LNG-powered containerships, which were completed last year.
The sources previously said that the new vessels are expected to be similar to the ones CMA CGM recently ordered at South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.
In January, CMA CGM booked 12 LNG dual-fuel vessels with a capacity of 18,000 teu at HD Hyundai Heavy.
This order is worth about 3.72 trillion won ($2.59 billion) or some $216 million per vessel.
HD Hyundai Heavy will deliver these containerships by December 2028.
Also, these ships are said to feature MAN dual-fuel engines and GTT’s Mark III containment tech.
CMA CGM is one of the world’s largest backers of LNG fuel, and it has set a goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Pioneering the use of alternative fuels, the group has invested more than $18 billion in orders for more than 131 dual-fuel vessels, which will be operational by 2028.
Most of these container vessels are powered by LNG.
