Marseille, France – 23 July 2025 — Global shipping group CMA CGM and energy major TotalEnergies have formed a 50/50 joint venture to co-develop and operate Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) bunkering logistics at the Port of Rotterdam. The partnership marks a world-first collaboration of its kind between a shipping line and an energy provider, reinforcing the Amsterdam–Rotterdam–Antwerp (ARA) region’s status as a critical hub for alternative marine fuels.
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Scaling LNG Infrastructure in Europe’s Leading Bunkering Region
At the heart of this initiative is a new 20,000 m³ LNG bunkering vessel, scheduled to enter operation in 2028, with the capability to deliver up to 360,000 metric tons of LNG per year. The vessel will support bunkering operations for CMA CGM’s expanding dual-fuel fleet and third-party vessels operating in the ARA corridor. It will complement TotalEnergies’ existing LNG assets, including the Gas Agility, strengthening regional capacity.
This development aligns with rising demand. As of mid-2025, there are 1,360 LNG dual-fuel vessels either in operation or on order. However, with only 62 LNG bunker vessels currently in service worldwide, supply infrastructure remains a critical bottleneck — one the new joint venture aims to address.
Long-Term Commitment to LNG and Future Marine Fuels
CMA CGM views LNG as a central element in its decarbonisation roadmap. The company expects to operate 129 dual-fuel LNG vessels by 2029, part of a broader commitment to Net Zero Carbon by 2050. Similarly, TotalEnergies, through its Marine Fuels division, continues to expand LNG bunkering infrastructure at key global ports, with an integrated supply strategy from production to delivery.
The new Rotterdam-based JV builds on past collaboration. In 2017, CMA CGM introduced the world’s first dual-fuel LNG ultra-large container ship. In 2020, it partnered with TotalEnergies for the first major LNG bunkering operation in Rotterdam, fueling the CMA CGM Jacques Saadé via ship-to-ship transfer.
The Group’s strategy focuses on future-proofing its fleet to comply with tightening emissions standards and upcoming carbon pricing mechanisms.
Operational Scale, Supply Strategy, and Compatibility
The JV’s LNG supply chain is designed with future flexibility in mind. It will be compatible with emerging bio-LNG and e-LNG solutions, providing shipowners with drop-in low-carbon alternatives as regulations evolve under FuelEU Maritime and IMO lifecycle GHG frameworks.
TotalEnergies will handle operational logistics, leveraging its experience in LNG shipping, and structured marine fuel contracts. The new LNG bunker vessel will be operated under a long-term charter and supported by secured offtake agreements, helping reduce commercial risk for fuel buyers.
Strategic Importance of the ARA Region
The ARA region remains Europe’s largest marine fuel hub, projected to supply 15–20% of global LNG bunkering demand by 2038. LNG bunker sales volumes in Europe grew by over 50% in 2024, with Rotterdam’s capacity alone increasing from 619,243 m³ to 941,366 m³. As dual-fuel vessel adoption accelerates — potentially reaching 1,200 ships by 2028 — pressure on infrastructure is rising. The CMA CGM–TotalEnergies venture is a proactive response to this challenge.
Interesting Facts about LNG as a Marine Fuel
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is increasingly recognized as a vital transitional fuel in the maritime industry’s decarbonization journey. When used as a marine fuel, LNG can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 20% compared to conventional marine fuels on a well-to-wake basis. It also significantly improves air quality by cutting nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) emissions by up to 85%, and virtually eliminating sulfur oxides (SOₓ) and fine particulate matter by as much as 99%.
These benefits are particularly impactful in port cities, where air quality improvements directly support public health and local environmental goals.
LNG offers a mature and immediately deployable solution for emissions reduction, serving as a crucial stepping stone toward net-zero marine fuels such as bioLNG—produced from sustainable biomass—and e-LNG, a synthetic LNG made using renewable electricity. These next-generation alternatives can further reduce GHG emissions while using the same bunkering infrastructure and vessel technology.
Importantly, LNG’s “drop-in” compatibility with existing dual-fuel engines makes it a cost-effective and technically practical option for fleet transitions, enabling shipowners to meet tightening environmental regulations without waiting for future technologies.
About TotalEnergies
TotalEnergies is a global multi-energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Its more than 100,000 employees are committed to providing as many people as possible with energy that is more reliable, more affordable and more sustainable. Active in about 120 countries, TotalEnergies places sustainability at the heart of its strategy, its projects and its operations.
As the world’s third-largest LNG player, TotalEnergies boasts an integrated position across the LNG value chain, including production, transportation, regasification, trading, and LNG bunkering. The company has been actively investing in LNG bunkering infrastructure across key global ports to support the maritime sector’s shift towards cleaner fuels.
About CMA CGM Group
The CMA CGM Group is a global leader in sea, land, air, and logistics solutions, guided by its corporate purpose: “We imagine better ways to serve a world in motion.” With a presence in 177 countries and employing 160,000 people worldwide (nearly 6,000 in its Marseille headquarters), CMA CGM is the world’s 3rd largest shipping company. It serves over 420 ports across five continents with a fleet exceeding 650 vessels, having carried over 23 million TEU containers in 2024.
The Group’s subsidiary, CEVA Logistics, is one of the world’s top five logistics players, managing 1,000 warehouses and handling 15 million shipments in 2024. CMA CGM AIR CARGO, the Group’s air freight division, is set to operate a fleet of 6 cargo aircraft by 2025. Committed to the energy transition, the CMA CGM Group is aiming for Net Zero Carbon by 2050. The CMA CGM Foundation also actively provides humanitarian aid and supports educational initiatives globally.
Source CMA CGM Group