The CMA CGM Group, a global player in sea, land and air logistics solutions, and the Yokohama Kawasaki International Port Corporation  have signed a Reservation Agreement for the Honmokufuto D5 container terminal in Port of Yokohama on 26 October 2022. This primes the relocation of CMA CGM’s current container terminal operations at D4 to D5 by October 2026.

Promises more container yard capacity and more than doubling reefer plugs

The D5 terminal will have a cargo berth with a linear quay length of 400 metres and a draft of 16 metres. This will provide CMA CGM with greater flexibility in accommodating shipments arriving on larger vessels of up to 15,000-TEU. The D5 terminal will be designed to provide 20% more container yard capacity, and some 120% more container reefer plugs than today. This will present opportunities for CMA CGM to cater to the growing fresh fruit shipments to Yokohama on its weekly Asia Central South America 1 (ACSA1) service.

A greener container terminal

The development of the D5 terminal plans be holistic, taking into account CMA CGM’s key service routes as an international carrier and shipping trends, as CMA CGM taps the Port of Yokohama as its the base of operations. The D5 container terminal will be operated with three quay cranes that are capable of serving ships with up to 20 rows of containers and up to nine containers high on deck, plus 11 near-zero emission rubber tyred gantry cranes.

Cold ironing facilities will be installed for CMA CGM vessels to plug into shore power while they are at berth in the port. With their vessel auxiliary engines turned off while still getting the power they need, particularly in order to maintain controlled temperatures in refrigerated fresh produce cargoes, a significant amount of vessel’s emissions at berth will be eliminated.

LNG bunkering facilities will also be developed at the port. This paves the way for potential LNG bunkering onboard CMA CGM’s LNG-powered vessels that are e-methane (a source of carbon-neutral fuel) ready. CMA CGM currently has 32 LNG-powered e-methane ready ships and the Group will operate 77 such ships by 2026.

Hideki Uchida, President of CMA CGM Japan, said: “As we prime for our larger vessels to ship more inbound cargoes to Yokohama, particularly fresh fruits from Central and Southern America, the enhanced operational capabilities, container yard capacity and reefer plugs at the D5 terminal is set to take our service delivery a notch up. Importantly, we shall be able to further decarbonise shipping and container terminal operations through the infrastructure that is planned ahead.”

“The Honmokufuto D5 Reconstruction Project is part of our mid-term management plan, and is an important project that the entire company is working on. Yokohama Kawasaki International Port Corporation is committed to the redevelopment project in cooperation with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the City of Yokohama, and other related organizations, in order to bring the D-5 container terminal into service as soon as possible.“ said Shinya Hitomi, President & CEO, YKIP.