The CMA CGM Group has announced that 10 of its vessels' bulbous bows are to be retrofitted in order to continue improving its fleet's energy efficiency and reducing its environmental footprint.

This exercise will significantly decrease the ship's fuel consumption and cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, the Group said in a release.

Bulbous bows are the underwater part of the bow. Because of their influence on the vessel's wave resistance, their design has a major impact on the vessel's hydrodynamic efficiency. They were initially designed for 24 knots sailing speed. Following the implementation of slow steaming, the Group's vessels now sail at speeds between 16 to 18 knots. The bows have, therefore, been redesigned.

The new design of the bows was shaped in cooperation with Hydrocéan, a French engineering company specialised in hydrodynamics. It carried out the hydrodynamic calculations.

These 10 vessels will be added to the list of 15 vessels whose bulbous bows have been modified in 2013 and 2014.

All vessels that entered the CMA CGM fleet in 2014 are sailing with optimised bulbous bows, the release pointed out.

With this optimisation, the CMA CGM Group reinforces its environmental commitment. It is on track to achieve its objective of 50 per cent CO2/TEU-km reduction between 2005 and 2015, the release emphasised.