The ships, due to be delivered to CMA CGM subsidiary La Méridionale, will be distinguished not only by powerplants that support dual fuel strategies for low carbon operations at sea but by enough battery power to enable zero-emission port stays. 

Offering capacity for 1,000 passengers and 2,500 lane metres of freight, the 180m long ships have been developed to modernize operations on the crossing between Marseille and Corsica. 

Commissioned to provide concept design work, Foreship developed the GA and outline specifications for the ships and supported CMA CGM in negotiations with the shipyard.

“These ships will feature state-of-the-art dual fuel engines, but what makes them especially significant from the perspective of their immediate environmental impact will be the large 13 MWh battery energy storage system on board,” said Joonatan Haukilehto, Head of New Technologies, Foreship. “The system will be sufficient to sustain hotel loads during calls in Corsica, while shore charging is only available in Marseille. 

“With over 40 shipboard battery projects under its belt, Foreship had offered detailed guidance on the battery pack specifications that will be required to meet the zero-emission in-port performance expected of the La Méridionale duo,” he said.

The Finnish company has also been retained by CMA CGM to provide naval architecture services through the design and building phases of the project, including consultancy on stability, energy efficiency, and compliance with the Safe Return to Port regulations.

“Following on from our design projects with Finnlines for the Baltic Sea and with TT-Line for the Bass Strait, we are delighted to support CMA CGM’s initiative to build next-generation, sustainable ro-pax ferries for its western Mediterranean services,” added Haukilehto. 

"With the goal of achieving Net Zero carbon by 2050, CMA CGM continues to invest in implementing the most promising energy efficiency technologies to decarbonize its fleet,” emphasized Xavier Leclercq, Vice President in charge of CMA Ships. 

“Thus, with the help of Foreship and thanks to its expertise in energy performance optimization, the two future ships of La Méridionale will consume 50% less energy compared to the PIANA, the reference ship of the fleet, while offering a significantly improved passenger experience."