CMA CGM has held a naming ceremony for its latest dual-fuel methanol vessel, CMA CGM Antigone, marking a further step in the group’s fleet transition strategy.

The container vessel will operate under the command of Captain Zhang Zequan, with Harriet Wu, former chief financial officer of CMA CGM China, acting as godmother at the ceremony, which took place on 11 December.

According to the boxship operator, CMA CGM Antigone will be deployed on the Phoenician Express (BEX2) service, linking Asia, the Middle East and the Mediterranean. The route connects major trading regions, facilitating cargo movements between Asian manufacturing hubs, Middle Eastern markets, and Mediterranean ports. It links China, Korea, Singapore, Egypt, Lebanon, Slovenia, Italy, Croatia, Saudi Arabia, and Malaysia.

Built at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, the Malta-flagged CMA CGM Antigone has a length of 366 metres, a deadweight tonnage of 156,100, a gross tonnage of 155,768, and a capacity of around 15,000 TEU. It is classed by Bureau Veritas.

The addition of the vessel increases CMA CGM's portfolio of methanol-capable ships, aligning with the French firm's goal of around 150 low-carbon vessels by 2029.

In October, the naming ceremony was held for the dual-fuel methanol vessel CMA CGM Helium, which has also been deployed on the BEX2 route. And in September, the shipper took delivery of CMA CGM Mercury, the fifth vessel in its 13,000-teu dual-fuel methanol series.