A colossal figure establishes routine presence.
Kiel Canal Regains Attractiveness for Large Container Vessels as CMA CGM Mermaid Transits
Kiel, Germany - The Kiel Canal, a critical link between the Baltic and North Seas, has faced numerous issues in recent years, including faulty locks, a lack of pilots, and insufficient tugboats, resulting in a decline in annual ship traffic from over 30,000 to under 27,000. However, a glimmer of hope has emerged in the form of the optimized container ship CMA CGM Mermaid, which recently navigated the waterway without incident.
The French shipping company CMA CGM, headquartered in Marseille, has constructed vessels specifically tailored to the dimensions of the Kiel Canal. The CMA CGM Mermaid, with a length of 205 meters and a width of 30 meters, sailed through the canal on its maiden voyage this week. The vessel passed through without any problems and managed an impressive transit time.
"Everything went smoothly. The ship made its way through the canal without any issues," reported Jens-Broder Knudsen, chairman of the Kiel Canal Initiative. However, the ship was not fully loaded, allowing it to fit within the canal's permitted maximum dimensions. On its return journey, the ship's draft will reportedly be too great, preventing it from passing through the canal.
The ship is expected to return to Bremerhaven and Hamburg via Tallinn, Estonia, and Danzig, Poland, with containers on board. At this point, the ship's draft will be approximately ten meters, exceeding the Kiel Canal's maximum allowed draft of 9.5 meters.
Despite this limitation, CMA CGM has agreed to regularly use the Kiel Canal for voyages from Hamburg to the Baltic Sea. The ship is scheduled to transit the canal every two weeks, beginning with an anticipated passage on April 29.
"The development indicates that major shipping companies still consider the Kiel Canal a viable option despite previous setbacks," said Knudsen. Issues such as lock malfunctions, pilot shortages, and insufficient tugboat availability have deterred several shipping companies from utilizing the waterway in the past.
The advantage of the Kiel Canal, with its time-saving advantage of nearly an entire day and potential fuel savings through the use of the artificial waterway, has once again become attractive to major shipping companies.
"The Kiel Canal has regained its appeal for major shipping companies," said Knudsen. The Danish shipping company Maersk Line has already deployed a ship optimized for the Kiel Canal, and the CMA CGM Mermaid, with a capacity of over 2,000 standard containers (TEU), is the largest container vessel to use the canal with such capacity. The 205-meter-long and 29-meter-wide hull was designed to accommodate a maximum of steel boxes on board.
The CMA CGM Mermaid was built in South Korea at the Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, with ten of these vessels ordered by the French shipping company at a cost of $62 million each. Six of these massive container ships are expected to operate in Northern Europe from 2025, with the main ports being Hamburg, Bremerhaven, and Rotterdam. The remaining four vessels will be deployed in the Mediterranean.
The acquisition of these vessels also enables the utilization of green fuels such as bio-LNG and green methanol. As shipping companies aim to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, this shift towards more eco-friendly fuel sources is significant, considering that both Maersk and CMA CGM each operate over 600 ships globally, with Maersk ranking second in the world fleet in terms of container capacity (4.2 million TEU), and CMA CGM ranking third (3.66 million TEU).
- The Kiel Canal's appeal has been rekindled in the industry, particularly for large container vessels, as the French shipping company CMA CGM has begun using the waterway with their optimized ship, the CMA CGM Mermaid.
- The implementation of advanced technology in the shipping industry is evidenced by the CMA CGM Mermaid, with a capacity of over 2,000 standard containers (TEU), which sailed through the Kiel Canal without issue.
- In the realm of finance and transportation, CMA CGM's decision to regularly use the Kiel Canal for container ship voyages indicates a growing interest in eco-friendly technology, as the company plans to deploy six of their new vessels, including the CMA CGM Mermaid, in Northern Europe, using green fuels such as bio-LNG and green methanol.
