The CMA CGM Group, a global player in sea, land, air and logistics solutions, announces the upcoming arrival of CMA CGM SCANDOLA at the new Lekki Deep Sea Port in Nigeria on Sunday, the 28th of January. Before reaching Lekki, the vessel will first call the port of Tema, Ghana, on the 23rd of January as CMA CGM’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered containership to call a port in West Africa. Following the call in Nigeria, CMA CGM SCANDOLA will continue its voyage and sail to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. At 15,000-TEU, the containership also ranks amongst the largest vessels to be calling in West Africa.

By deploying this “biomethane and e-methane ready” containership, the CMA CGM Group demonstrates once again its commitment to support West Africa’s supply chains by increasing deployed capacity, as well as the Group’s role as a pioneer to decarbonize Shipping and Logistics’ in the region and worldwide.

Supporting West Africa’s supply chains through state-of-the-art vessels and infrastructure

CMA CGM SCANDOLA sails on CMA CGM’s West Africa Express (WAX) service connecting West Africa (Tema, Lekki, Abidjan, Pointe-Noire) directly to China, South-East Asia and India. CMA CGM is strengthening the WAX service to support customers with high capacity vessels and by adding calls at the ports of Tema, Ghana, and Pointe Noire, Republic of the Congo. WAX also calls the new Lekki Deep Sea Port.

Through it’s subsidiary CMA Terminals, the CMA CGM Group manages and operates the Lekki Freeport Terminal, a new generation of multi-user container terminal and a game changing infrastructure for Nigeria and West Africa. The new terminal became Nigeria’s first deep sea port equipped with Gantry cranes and one of the largest in West Africa, acting as a gateway to the continent’s largest economy. The terminal’s quay is 1.2-kilometer-long for a capacity of 2.5 million TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) with an existing phase 1 launched in February 2023 offering a capacity of up to 1.2 million TEUs with 5 Ship-to-Shore Cranes. With a depth of 16 meters, it can operate vessels with a capacity of up to 15,000 TEU. The Lekki terminal serves as a mega transshipment hub, especially to Nigeria’s neighboring countries in the Gulf of Guinea such as Togo and Benin.

CMA CGM Group, a pioneer in Shipping and Logistics’ decarbonization committed to reach Net Zero-Carbon by 2050

Dual-fuel gas powered vessels such as the CMA CGM SCANDOLA currently run on LNG, improving air quality by avoiding up to 99% of sulphur emission, 92% of nitrogen oxide emission and 91% of particulate matter. Thus, once supply is available, these ships will be capable of using BioLNG (liquefied biomethane produced from biowaste), and e-methane (synthetic-methane produced from decarbonized hydrogen), a source of carbon-neutral fuel.

The Group invested close to USD 15 billion in decarbonizing its fleet. CMA CGM is currently operating 35 dual-fuel LNG-powered containerships, and will have almost 120 vessels capable of being powered by decarbonized fuels by 2028.

A pioneer in the use of LNG as a transition energy, the CMA CGM Group has also launched several large industrial partnerships to diversify its sourcing with even more decarbonized fuels. In September 2022, Rodolphe Saadé announced the creation of PULSE, CMA CGM Energy Fund, with a USD 1.5 billion budget over 5 years to accelerate the decarbonization of all the sea, land, air transportation and logistics activities worldwide. In 2023, the CMA CGM Group reduced its CO2 emissions by around -1 million tons.

CMA CGM, offering customers in West Africa the best maritime and logistics solutions

From Mauritania to Cameroon, the CMA CGM Group has been operating in West Africa for over 20 years, with currently 21 offices and almost 700 staff members. Through its mainline services, the Group serves 18 ports in the region, connecting major global destinations with a state-of-the-art intermodal network through CEVA Logistics. West Africa is a strategic region for the CMA CGM Group on the continent. The Group supports West African exporters and offers its customers the best maritime and logistics solutions by providing ship consignment and transport services for key commodities such as cocoa, cashew nuts, cotton, rubber and fruit (mango-banana-pineapple).

Stéphane Courquin, Head of CMA CGM Africa said “The deployment of this new generation vessel on our WAX service from Asia to West Africa and from West Africa to Asia marks a new stage in our partnership with our customers, local authorities and partners. We are determined to continue to support the immense potential of African logistics, paving the way for a dynamic and growing economy and proud to initiate the energy transition.”

Source: CMA CGM