COSCO completes repair of CMA CGM Palais Royal
Palais Royal, sporting the now familiar windshield, pictured at Cosco’s Shanghai yard (Source: Cosco)
The 23,000 TEU dual-fuel container ship CMA CGM Palais Royal has left Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry’s Shanghai yard following a complex repair and upgrade project.
The work included a simultaneous overhaul of all four fuel pumps, with the emergency pump posing a particular challenge. Technicians studied manuals in detail before designing specialist tooling and safe procedures to ensure the work was completed on schedule.
Refuelling also saw innovation. With limited time available for LNG bunkering, the yard coordinated a “truck-to-ship relay” method, completing cold-tank operations and fuel transfer in just eight hours. This saved 30 hours compared with conventional approaches and is expected to set a new standard for post-repair bunkering.
The vessel, sister to CMA CGM Rivoli and CMA CGM Jacques Saade, continues the container line’s series of LNG-powered ultra-large container ships. Each repair has introduced industry firsts: Rivoli established survey and repair frameworks, Jacques Saade enabled China’s first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering at a yard, and now Palais Royal has pioneered rapid LNG transfer methods.
Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry said it remains committed to advancing safety, quality, and alternative fuel technologies, including LNG and methanol, as part of China’s dual-carbon goals.
