- CMA CGM Orders Wärtsilä EnviroPac Engines for New LNG-Powered Fleet.
- LNG’s Role as a Transition Fuel in Sustainable Shipping Highlighted.
- Wärtsilä 34DF Engines with EnviroPac to Power CMA CGM’s New Vessels.
Wärtsilä reports that it had introduced its new EnviroPac feature for the Wärtsilä 34DF constant-speed engine. It reduces methane emissions while achieving a high power output and adhering to IMO Tier 3 NOx requirements. The French shipping company CMA CGM has placed the first order for engines equipped with this feature, which will be installed in eight new LNG-powered container vessels under construction at the Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS) yard in China. The engine order for the first two vessels was booked in Q4 2024 by Wärtsilä’s joint venture, CWEC (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
LNG as a Transition Fuel in Sustainable Shipping
As the shipping industry moves toward more sustainable operations, LNG is seen as a critical transition fuel, bridging conventional diesel fuels and future carbon-neutral or carbon-free alternatives. However, the primary component of LNG, methane, poses challenges. A small portion of methane may escape unburned during combustion, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing methane emissions is a crucial strategy for the industry to lower its overall GHG footprint over the next decade, complementing efforts to cut CO2 emissions.
EnviroPac’s Impact on Methane Emissions
The EnviroPac feature cuts methane emissions by 50% compared to the standard Wärtsilä 34DF engine when operating on LNG fuel. Despite this reduction, the engine maintains its existing power output of 520 kW per cylinder. Besides environmental benefits, the reduced emissions lower operational costs within EU waters by minimizing penalties under the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) and FuelEU Maritime (FEUM). The feature is available for new engines and retrofits of the latest Wärtsilä 34DF constant-speed engine models.
Industry Adoption and CMA CGM’s Sustainability Efforts
“This is a very important development that will have a major beneficial impact on our operations,” said Xavier Leclercq, Vice President, of building, CMA CGM. “We are working hard to minimise the environmental footprint throughout our fleet, and this latest technology from Wärtsilä provides strong support to these efforts.”
The eight LNG-powered vessels, each with a capacity of 9200 TEU, will operate using two 6-cylinder Wärtsilä 34DF engines and two 9-cylinder Wärtsilä 34DF EnviroPac engines, along with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems. Wärtsilä plans to begin delivering the equipment to the SWS yard in early 2026.
Strengthening Wärtsilä and CMA CGM Collaboration
“We are proud to launch this new EnviroPac feature for our already efficient Wärtsilä 34DF engine,” commented Stefan Nysjö, Vice President of Power Supply, Wärtsilä Marine. “Our long-standing relationship with CMA CGM is once again enhanced with this order, and we complement them on their vision for actively achieving sustainability throughout their fleet.”
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Source: Wärtsilä
