French container shipping giant CMA CGM has reached a major operational milestone by taking delivery of its 400th owned vessel, the methanol-capable containership CMA CGM Monte Cristo, underscoring the company’s ongoing fleet expansion and decarbonisation strategy. The newbuild is set to enter commercial service on January 29, 2026, on a key Asia–Mediterranean loop.
The Monte Cristo is the first of a planned series of six 15,000-TEU methanol dual-fuel container ships. Measuring 366 m in length with a beam of 51 m, the vessel has a maximum capacity of approximately 16,204 TEU, including about 1,000 refrigerated container plugs.
Built at the DSIC Tianjin Shipyard in China, the Monte Cristo held its official naming ceremony on January 21, 2026. Once operational, the vessel will join the BEX2 – Phoenician Express service, linking major North Asian ports with the Levant and the Adriatic Sea.
The addition of CMA CGM Monte Cristo brings the number of fully owned vessels within CMA CGM’s total operated fleet – exceeding 650 ships worldwide – to 400.
CMA CGM has now deployed 11 methanol-capable container ships and currently has 24 such vessels on order. The group plans to operate roughly 200 dual-fuel LNG and methanol vessels by 2031. These vessels are designed to switch between conventional and low-carbon alternative fuels to reduce emissions, aligning with current and future international environmental standards.
