A subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited (CSSC) on April 15 delivered an ultra-large 24,000-TEU liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel container ship to France's CMA CGM Group.

Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) Co., Ltd. delivered the vessel, CMA CGM SEINE, in Shanghai, marking the completion of the CSSC's breakthrough construction of the world's first ultra-large dual-fuel container ship. The dual-fuel power system allows the shipping company to use LNG or oil to power the ship.

The vessel, which is 399 meters long and 61.3 meters wide, can carry 220,000 tonnes of goods. It can accommodate a total of 23,876 TEU containers, including up to 2,200 standard refrigerated containers. It is the first of four such vessels ordered by the French container shipping giant.

With an 18,600-cubic-meter fuel bunker fully loaded with LNG, the ship can sail nearly 20,000 nautical miles.

Compared to oil-powered container vessels of the same size, the ship emits approximately 20 percent less carbon dioxide and up to 85 percent less nitrogen oxides.

The vessel is scheduled to be launched on a Far East-Europe route on April 18.

To date, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding has delivered 17 container ships to CMA CGM Group, including 12 dual-fuel vessels.