Cairo: The CMA CGM Notre-Dame, one of the largest container ships in the world, made a landmark call on Monday at the TC2 container terminal of Tanger Med Port, underscoring the facility’s growing strategic importance in global shipping networks.

According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, the LNG-powered vessel, operating on the flagship French Asia Line (FAL 3), is now set to include Tanger Med as a regular stop. This move consolidates the Moroccan port’s position as the leading maritime hub in both the Mediterranean and Africa, as well as a key partner of the CMA CGM Group.

Commissioned in May 2026, the next-generation vessel boasts a capacity of 24,212 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). After its christening ceremony in Le Havre, the ship completed inaugural calls in Rotterdam, Hamburg, and Antwerp before arriving in Tanger Med, where it docked at the Eurogate-operated TC2 terminal.

Florian Goupil, CEO of CMA CGM Morocco, acknowledged the milestone, describing Tanger Med as ‘a strategic partner and a major hub in our global maritime network.’ Goupil emphasized the group’s longstanding presence in Morocco, ongoing investments in port infrastructure, and confidence in the country’s logistics potential.

Adil At Oualil, Director of Maritime Operations at the Tanger Med Port Captaincy, noted that the vessel’s call demonstrates the port’s capability to handle the world’s largest ships. He revealed that in 2025, Tanger Med recorded nearly 17,000 vessel calls, including 1,300 ships exceeding 290 meters in length, driven by world-class infrastructure and skilled resources.

Captain Marine-Caroline Guillou of the CMA CGM Notre-Dame praised the smooth docking operation, commending the port’s pilotage service that ensured a safe berthing. Commemorative trophies were exchanged between the ship’s command, CMA CGM representatives, and Tanger Med port authorities to mark the occasion.

The CMA CGM Notre-Dame is the first in a series of ten 24,000-TEU container ships under the French flag, part of the group’s strategy to accelerate maritime transport decarbonization. Designed to run on LNG, the vessel is compatible with bio-LNG and future synthetic e-methane.

CMA CGM operates one of the world’s largest fleets of dual-fuel vessels, investing in low-carbon technologies. The group aims for carbon neutrality by 2050 and plans to have nearly 200 low-emission-capable container ships by 2031.