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CMA CGM Group has announced that it has taken delivery of a new vessel that is equipped with a new device which is able to cut fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by up to 4 percent. The CMA CGM Christophe Colomb, delivered yesterday in South Korea, is the new flagship of the Group. It is to date, one of the world’s largest container ship and has impressive dimensions : 365 meters long, 51.2 meters wide, with a draft of 15.5 meters. In compliance with CMA CGM’s environmental policy, CMA CGM Christophe Colomb is the first vessel of the Group equipped with a Pre-Swirl Stator. This ingenious new device, together with the twisted leading-edge rudder, maximizes propulsion efficiency and optimizes the vessel’s hydrodynamics to cut fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 2 to 4 %.

Energy is also conserved by an electronically controlled engine which reduces fuel consumption by 3%. Thanks to this new engine, the vessel can – if necessary – be operated at super eco-speed (14 to 15 knots).

In addition, CMA CGM Christophe Colomb is equipped with a Fast Oil Recovery System which enables bunkers to be rapidly recovered at any time, hence significantly limiting the environmental consequences should there be an incident at sea.

Technically, the vessel distinguishes itself by the position of its superstructure, located in the front, which maximizes space utilization, guarantees a better visibility from the bridge and reinforces the vessel’s hull. Moreover, the tanks of CMA CGM Christophe Colomb, located underneath the superstructure, are protected by the double hull of the vessel, in compliance with the MARPOL 12A regulation which will come into effect in August 2010.

"This new giant of the seas is a strategic asset for CMA CGM while volumes and freight rates on the Asia to Europe market are recovering. Thanks to its size and equipment, this modern and competitive vessel enables the Group to meet its growing customer demand on this key market while ensuring economies of scale," said Nicolas Sartini, Senior Vice President Asia / Europe Lines, CMA CGM Group.

CMA CGM has decided to deploy its vessel on a line operated in partnership with Maersk (1 vessel CMA CGM, 9 vessels Maersk) - a decision that enables the Group to improve service quality and optimize its new transport capacity.

The vessel will start its rotation in Shanghai on the 11th of November and then on to Ningbo (12th of November), Xiamen (14th of November), Hong Kong (15th of November), Yantian (16th of November) and Algeciras (3rd of December) before calling Rotterdam on the 7th of December and, finally, Bremerhaven on the 9th of December.