Former and new bulbous shapes retrofit.

CMA CGM continues its fleet’s energy and consumption optimizations by retrofitting 10 of its vessels’ bulbous bows

Thursday, October 30, 2014

• In addition to the 15 vessels that have already been retrofitted, 10 vessels’ bulbous bows will be modified, bringing the total to 25 optimized vessels

• All ships that have entered CMA CGM fleet since 2014 were designed with bulbous bows that are already adapted to current operating speeds

• Since 2005, the CMA CGM Group has reduced its CO2/TEU-km emissions by 40%

Bulbous shapes comparison: initial bulbs (left) and new ones (right). Image by CMA CGM

Former and new bulbous shapes retrofit. Images by CMA CGM

The CMA CGM Group is pleased to announce 10 of its vessels’ bulbous bows are to be retrofitted in order to continue improving its fleet’s energy efficiency and reducing its environmental footprint.

The bulbous bows exchanges that are performed within a week in repair yards’ drydocks reduce significantly the ship’s fuel consumption and cut CO2 emissions.

Bulbous bows are the underwater part of the bow. Because of their influence on the vessel’s wave resistance, their design has a major impact on the vessel hydrodynamic efficiency. They were initially designed for 24 knots sailing speed. Following the implementation of the slow steaming, the Group’s vessels now sail at speeds between 16 to 18 knots. Bulbous bows have therefore been redesigned.

The bulbous bows new design were shaped in cooperation with Hydrocéan, a French engineering company specialized in hydrodynamics and which performed the hydrodynamic calculations.

Those 10 vessels will be added to the list of 15 vessels, whose bulbous bows have been modified in 2013 and 2014.

All vessels that have entered the CMA CGM fleet in 2014 are sailing with optimized bulbous bows.

With this optimization, the CMA CGM Group reinforces its environmental commitment. Its objective of 50% CO2/TEU-km reduction between 2005 and 2015 is on good tracks to be reached.

About CMA CGM
CMA CGM, founded and led by Jacques R. Saadé is the world’s third largest container shipping company and has a turnover of 15.9 billion USD in 2013. Operating a fleet of 430 vessels, the Group serves more than 400 ports around the world. In 2013, the Group carried 11.4 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). With a presence on every continent and in 150 countries through its network of 650 agencies and branch offices, the Group employs more than 18,000 people worldwide and 2,400 in its headquarter in Marseilles.

CMA CGM press release