Agadir – The CMA CGM NOTRE DAME, one of the world’s largest container ships and the largest vessel operating under the French flag, made its first call at the Tangier Med port on Monday.
The 400-meter-long vessel arrived at the TC2 container terminal operated by Eurogate as part of CMA CGM’s French Asia Line (FAL 3), a strategic service connecting major Asian ports with Europe. The route includes calls at Ningbo, Shanghai, Yantian, Singapore, Le Havre, Rotterdam, Hamburg, and Tangier Med.
Powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), the CMA CGM NOTRE DAME has a capacity of 24,212 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), making it one of the largest container ships currently in operation worldwide. The vessel began its maiden commercial voyage from Shanghai before reaching France and Europe in early July.
Commitment to innovation
In a statement, CMA CGM said the new-generation ship “reaffirms its commitment to the energy transition of maritime transport, while strengthening its capacity to support the growth of global trade.”
The vessel is the first of a series of 10 LNG-powered 24,000 TEU container ships that will be progressively deployed between 2026 and 2028 on major maritime routes worldwide.
Speaking during the Tangier Med stopover, CMA CGM Morocco Managing Director Florian Goupil described the port as “a strategic partner of the Group and a major hub in our global maritime network.”
The executive added that the CMA CGM NOTRE DAME “illustrates CMA CGM’s commitment to innovation and the decarbonization of maritime transport.”
The ship is designed to reduce its environmental footprint through several technologies, including an LNG propulsion system compatible with bio-LNG from renewable sources and, in the future, synthetic e-methane.
It also features an aerodynamic windshield system to reduce energy consumption, an 18,600-cubic-meter LNG tank, and smart energy-management solutions.
According to CMA CGM, the vessel is equipped with a fully digitalized bridge incorporating artificial intelligence tools, augmented reality systems, and advanced navigation technologies to improve safety and optimize routes, speed, and energy consumption.
The stopover also reflected Tangier Med’s growing capacity to accommodate the world’s largest vessels.
Tangier Med recorded nearly 17,000 vessel calls in 2025, including around 1,300 ships exceeding 290 meters in length.
