CHINESE shipbuilder Hudong Zhonghua has started the construction of the first out of four new deal-fuel 23,000-TEU ships for French shipping giant CMA CGM, reports Rotterdam's Offshore Energy.

The vessel has a total length of 399 metres, a molded width of 61.3 metres, a molded depth of 33.5 metres and a design draft of 14.5 metres.

This type of ship can carry 220,000 tons of cargo, load 23,872 TEU at a time. The ship incorporates a number of energy efficiency measures, including WinGD's dual-fuel engines and GTT's 18,600-cbm fuel tank. Finnish technology group Wartsila will supply the LNG fuel gas supply (FGSS) systems for the boxship quartet.

Wartsila's full scope of supply includes the system engineering, a dedicated material package, the boil-off gas compressor (BOGC) skid delivery, as well as the supervision, commissioning and testing of the FGS systems.

CMA CGM has ordered nine 23,000-TEUers powered by LNG as part of its 2050 carbon campaign.

Hudong-Zhonghua and its unit Jiangnan are building in total nine LNG-powered sister vessels for the French firm.