French containership giant CMA CGM has floated a tender with shipbuilders for a series of up to eight boxships worth more than $850m.

Newbuilding sources say CMA CGM is seeking offers from yards for between six and eight vessels of 14,000 teu. Delivery dates are likely to be from 2020.

Brokers price this size of boxship at between $106m and $108m.

Those working on the business say CMA CGM is considering LNG fuelling for its next raft of vessels. However, they stress that at this early stage everything remains open.

Experts say building the vessels with LNG-fuelling capability will add between 15% and 20% to the final price, depending on the size and type of the bunker tanks.

Shipyards both in China and South Korea are likely to offer for this business. But with CMA CGM recently turning to Chinese yards for nine supersize 22,000-teu vessels, South Korean shipbuilders could face keen competition.

CMA CGM’s media team say the group does not comment on market rumours.

The sector is eagerly watching CMA CGM after it made a landmark decision in November to opt for dual-fuelling for its new generation of giant boxships, stating the vessels will be almost entirely powered by LNG, with marine gas oil used just for ignition in the combustion chamber.

Five of the vessels will be built at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding (Group) and four at Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding.

CMA CGM is the first of the large boxship operators to opt for gas on its large long-haul vessels. Chief executive Rodolphe Saade was credited with what has been described as “a game-changing” decision while the company said its use of LNG fuelling is “a disruptive but necessary innovation to fight global warming”.

The French liner outfit has signed up with compatriot energy major Total to supply LNG as bunkers, which will allow them to undertake a round-trip from Asia to Europe without refuelling.

Equipment manufacturers say all the major lines are now “re-evaluating” LNG fuelling for their vessels, having evaluated all the options to meet the IMO’s incoming 2020 emissions regulations.

Hyundai Merchant Marine, Cosco and AP Moller-Maersk are among the companies to watch.

A gas-fuelling enthusiast told TradeWinds: “If they [container lines] miss this business opportunity they could be out of business,” suggesting the economics of a higher newbuilding price for LNG fuelling stack up over the longer term.

But newbuilding brokers say the trading pattern and smaller size of CMA CGM’s 14,000-teu newbuildings could make the LNG decision more difficult as the owner will need to weigh up the loss of container space against the size of bunker tanks required for the routes the ships will serve.