Giant expands to frequent visits
The container ship CMA CGM Mermaid, one of the largest vessels in the world, has successfully passed through the waters of Northern Europe this week, marking a significant milestone for the French shipping company CMA CGM. Despite its size, the Mermaid, which was built in South Korea, was able to navigate the region's busy ports without the need for tugboats.
However, the CMA CGM Mermaid will not be passing through the Kiel Canal on its return journey due to its larger draft. The maximum dimensions for a container ship to pass through the Kiel Canal, located in Kiel, are generally constrained by the canal's lock and channel sizes, which historically accommodate vessels approximately up to 170 meters in length and about 27 meters in beam (width).
The CMA CGM Mermaid, with its length and beam exceeding the canal's maximum dimensions around 170 m x 27 m, cannot pass through the Kiel Canal. Instead, such large vessels typically transit major oceanic routes like the Suez Canal, which handles vessels up to 366 meters long and wider.
The acquisition of the CMA CGM Mermaid is part of a larger trend for CMA CGM, which operates over 600 ships globally and ranks third in the world fleet by container capacity. The company has ordered ten of these freighters, with each costing $62 million. Six of these new container giants are expected to operate in Northern Europe from 2025.
The main ports for these ships will be Hamburg, Bremerhaven, and Rotterdam. The CMA CGM Mermaid is expected to return to Bremerhaven and Hamburg via Tallinn (Estonia) and Danzig (Poland) fully loaded with containers.
Despite past issues with breakdowns of the locks and a shortage of available pilots and tugboats, the Kiel Canal remains on the radar of major shipping companies. The CMA CGM Mermaid's sister ship, the "Laura Maersk", is another container ship optimized for the Kiel Canal.
The use of these mega containerships also enables the use of green fuels such as bio-LNG and green methanol, contributing to a more sustainable future for container shipping.
References: [1] "Elbinsel container ship transits Kiel Canal." (2024). [www.kiel-kanal.de](http://www.kiel-kanal.de) [2] "CMA CGM Osiris." (n.d.). [www.cma-cgm.com](http://www.cma-cgm.com) [4] "CMA CGM mega containerships." (n.d.). [www.maritime-executive.com](http://www.maritime-executive.com)
The CMA CGM Mermaid, despite being optimized for major oceanic routes like the Suez Canal, is unable to pass through the Kiel Canal due to its larger draft and exceeding the canal's maximum dimensions. The company's future business strategy in technology and finance, including the acquisition and operation of mega containerships, aims to incorporate green fuels such as bio-LNG and green methanol, promoting a more sustainable future for the technology and finance sectors within the industry.
