CMA CGM NOTRE DAME Completes Its First Bio-LNG Bunkering Operation in Rotterdam

CMA CGM has completed the first bio-LNG bunkering operation for its newest containership, the CMA CGM NOTRE DAME, at the Port of Rotterdam. The French carrier described the fuelling as its largest bio-LNG delivery to date and among the biggest such operations worldwide.

The vessel took on 11,125 cubic metres of bio-LNG, supplied through TotalEnergies' dedicated LNG bunkering vessel. According to CMA CGM, the fuel was produced in Europe from biomethane sourced from agricultural and organic waste, and delivered on a mass balance basis in line with European sustainability and traceability rules.

At 24,212 TEU, including 1,600 reefer plugs, the NOTRE DAME is currently the world's largest LNG-powered containership and the biggest vessel operating under the French flag. Commissioned in May 2026, it was designed to run on LNG and is already compatible with bio-LNG, with future readiness for synthetic fuels such as e-methane.

CMA CGM said bio-LNG delivers at least a 67% reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions compared with conventional marine fuels, while allowing operators to draw on existing LNG bunkering infrastructure. The operation forms part of efforts to establish a green corridor between Rotterdam and Asia, supported by TotalEnergies and the port authority. The carrier framed the milestone as a continuation of initiatives begun in 2020 with the CMA CGM JACQUES SAADE, and reaffirmed its target of net zero carbon by 2050 through a mixed portfolio spanning LNG, methanol and other low-carbon fuels.

For Malaysian and Southeast Asian readers, the Rotterdam-to-Asia green corridor ambition signals that regional ports and bunkering operators will face growing pressure to develop alternative fuel supply capacity if they wish to remain relevant to the largest dual-fuel fleets calling at Asian hubs. As major carriers commit to LNG, bio-LNG and eventually synthetic fuels, terminals across the Strait of Malacca and wider region will need to weigh investment in bunkering infrastructure and renewable fuel value chains. The move also underscores demand signals for biomethane and LNG feedstocks, an area where Southeast Asian gas producers and terminal operators may find emerging commercial opportunities as shipping decarbonisation accelerates.