VESSEL REVIEW | CM Guangzhou – China Merchants' first 7,800CEU methanol dual-fuel car carrier

China Merchants Energy Shipping (CMES) has taken delivery of CM Guangzhou (CM 广州), the first ship in a series of four 7,800CEU methanol dual-fuel pure car and truck carriers (PCTCs) ordered from within the China Merchants Group.

The Hong Kong-flagged vessel was named and handed over at Yizheng in Jiangsu province on October 10, 2026, and began her first export loading operation that same day. She is operated by China Merchants RoRo.

Design work was undertaken by Finnish naval architecture firm Deltamarin in compliance with Lloyd’s Register class requirements.

CMES said the 7,800CEU series offers broader berth compatibility and more flexible route scheduling compared to very large Ro-Ro vessels. The company presents the ships as part of a fleet that mixes vessel sizes with coordinated trunk and feeder services for automotive exports.

Significant transport capacity coupled with a flexible propulsion setup

CM Guangzhou has an LOA of 199.9 metres (655.8 feet), a beam of 37.7 metres (124 feet), a draught of 9.3 metres (31 feet), a deadweight of 14,600, and a gross tonnage of 76,400.

Her 13 vehicle decks offer 67,076 square metres (722,000 square feet) of loading area. The nominal capacity is 7,800 CEU, while the stated maximum is 8,102 vehicles.

The design speed is 19 knots, and the ship is cleared for unrestricted navigation. The main engine can switch between methanol and conventional marine fuel. The vessel meets IMO Tier III NOx limits and has a medium-voltage system for shore power.

CMES said running on green methanol can cut lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by more than 70 per cent. The actual saving depends on the production pathway of the methanol bunkered.

Configured to run on waste-derived methanol for reduced environmental impact

The ship took on 2,300 tonnes of methanol, including 1,400 tonnes of bonded green methanol, at Guangzhou's Nansha automobile terminal on October 16.

CIMC said the green portion was biomethanol produced by CIMC Enric at Zhanjiang from agricultural and forestry waste in western Guangdong. Sinopec Chimbusco delivered it using the methanol bunker vessel Daqing 268.

CIMC claims lifecycle carbon savings of more than 85 per cent for the fuel.

The series traces back to March 29, 2023, when CMES contracted two methanol dual-fuel PCTCs and took options on four more.

The first two contracts became effective on May 12, 2023, at a combined value of US$192 million. When CMES exercised the options on November 13, 2023, it switched from the originally contemplated 9,000CEU class to a 7,800CEU design to improve port and cargo suitability.

The resulting ships are 20 metres shorter than the first pair, CM Hong Kong and CM Shen Zhen. Those vessels share the 37.7-metre beam and 13-deck arrangement, but each carries 9,300 CEUs across 78,416 square metres (844,060 square feet) on a 219.9-metre (721.5-foot) hull.

The vessel's first loading took place at the Longtan port area of Nanjing Port. There she embarked 1,530 vehicles for a new direct Nanjing–Europe service to Barcelona and departed on October 11. At Nansha, she loaded more than 4,000 alternative energy vehicles for distribution via Spain and Belgium.

Sister ship CM Wuhan was delivered at Nantong on October 16. The remaining two vessels, which Deltamarin listed as CM Shanghai and CM Dalian, are due to enter service by the end of the year.