French liner giant CMA CGM has teamed up with compatriot energy major TotalEnergies to form an LNG bunkering services joint venture at the Port of Rotterdam.

As part of the 50/50 jv, the two companies will co-own and operate a new 20,000 cu m LNG bunker vessel, expected to enter service by the end of 2028. The unit will supply the fuel to ships in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) region, including CMA CGM’s dual-fuel fleet and third-party customers.

The jv will tap into TotalEnergies’ existing bunkering infrastructure in the region, including the Gas Agility, an 18,600 cu m LNG bunker vessel that has been operating out of Rotterdam since 2020.

CMA CGM’s fast-growing LNG-powered fleet is expected to reach 123 ships by 2029. To support this expansion and its 2050 net-zero target, TotalEnergies will supply the company with up to 360,000 tonnes of LNG annually between 2028 and 2040.

“With this joint venture, CMA CGM and TotalEnergies are taking a new step to support the energy transition in shipping. For the first time, a shipping company and an energy provider will jointly operate an LNG bunkering vessel, based in the port of Rotterdam,” noted Rodolphe Saadé, chairman and CEO of CMA CGM Group, adding: “It is a concrete way to scale up alternative fuels and accelerate the decarbonisation of global trade.”

The two French firms have been collaborating on LNG bunkering since 2017, with supply contracts already in place at Rotterdam and Marseille Fos, and several milestone ship-to-ship LNG deliveries completed across key European ports.

TotalEnergies is currently the world’s third-largest LNG player, with a global portfolio of 40m tonnes per year.

“LNG is today the most mature and immediately available solution to reduce the environmental footprint of maritime transport. This strategic partnership not only strengthens our position as a major player in LNG bunkering but also illustrates the shared commitment of two leading French companies to actively support the energy transition,” added Patrick Pouyanné, chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies.