CMA CGM has received its 400th owned ship, the methanol-powered CMA CGM Monte Cristo, reported Bangalore's Marine Insight.

The 15,000-TEU vessel, with a maximum capacity of 16,204 TEU and about 1,000 refrigerated plugs, entered commercial service at Ningbo. It will operate on the BEX2 - Phoenician Express service linking North Asia with the Levant and Adriatic Sea.

Measuring 366 metres by 51 metres, the ship sails under the Maltese flag with a crew of 23 commanded by Captain Predrag Vojvodic. CMA CGM said the vessel meets high standards for safety, comfort and accommodation.

Built at DSIC Tianjin Shipyard, the Monte Cristo was named on 21 January in Tianjin, with Liu Liping, Deputy General Manager of EPPEN Biotech, acting as godmother.

With this addition, CMA CGM owns 400 ships within a fleet of more than 650 vessels worldwide. The company said the milestone reflects its long-term focus on ownership and new technologies to improve efficiency and cut emissions.

The Monte Cristo is the 11th methanol-powered container ship in the CMA CGM fleet. A total of 24 methanol-fuelled vessels are on order. The Group aims to operate about 200 dual-fuel LNG and methanol ships by 2031 as part of its Net Zero Carbon target for 2050.