Brussels Clears CMA CGM and TotalEnergies LNG Bunkering Joint Venture
New 20,000 cu m supply vessel due in 2028 to serve the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp range
The European Commission has approved the creation of a joint venture between CMA CGM and TotalEnergies dedicated to liquefied natural gas bunkering. The case, registered under number M.12406, was notified to Brussels in late July.
The Commission found that the deal raised no competition concerns within the European Economic Area, citing the negligible scale of the expected activity and the limited combined market shares of the two French groups.
The joint venture will be equally owned by CMA CGM and TotalEnergies Gaz & Electricité Holdings. It will offer bunker services in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp range, Europe's largest port complex, drawing on the Gate storage terminal in Rotterdam.
A new 20,000 cu m bunkering vessel is expected to reinforce the offering from 2028. It will complement Gas Agility, a TotalEnergies bunkering vessel that has operated in the region since 2020 with a capacity of 18,600 cu m. TotalEnergies has also committed to supplying CMA CGM with up to 360,000 tonnes of LNG per year between 2028 and 2040, which gives the venture a contracted volume floor rather than leaving it dependent on third-party demand.
The scope approved by Brussels is limited to bunkering logistics and does not cover the two groups' broader maritime or energy activities.
LNG remains the most widely used alternative for companies replacing heavy fuel oil, and the elements cited in the case file put its climate benefit at a reduction of around 20% in greenhouse gas emissions compared with conventional fuel oil. It eliminates sulphur emissions and fine particles, but its use can generate methane leaks, and methane carries strong warming potential.
CMA CGM said the European approval supports the group's ambition to reach net zero carbon by 2050. The International Maritime Organization is also targeting carbon neutrality for shipping by around 2050. The sector accounts for roughly 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, a volume the French environment agency Ademe places on a par with the emissions of a major industrialised country such as Germany or Japan.
