CMA CGM has proceeded with the decarbonization of river transport in Southeast Asia, launching the first fully electric container barge in Vietnam.
The project was supported by the construction of a solar-powered charging station at the Cai Mep port, the country’s main container gateway near Ho Chi Minh City.
As part of this initiative, CMA CGM has signed an agreement with its long-standing partner Gemadept, a logistics and port operator in Vietnam, to establish a joint venture named Green River Transportation, which will operate the electric barge. The new entity will manage river transport services in the Mekong Delta.
The electric barge was jointly designed by CMA CGM’s CMA Ships and Research and Development (R&D) teams. It will be powered by a charging station connected to a new solar farm located on the Gemalink terminal at Cai Mep. The facility is expected to generate up to 1 GWh of green electricity per year.
“This new zero-emission solution will reduce CO₂ emissions by 778 tons per year on the 180 km route between Binh Duong Province and Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu, in southern Vietnam,” pointed out a CMA CGM representative.
With this combination of electric barge, solar farm, and on-site charging station, CMA CGM will provide global sports brand Nike with a tailored, efficient, and emissions-free logistics solution. Nike is the first partner to commit to using the electric barge for its logistics flows between its Vietnam-based manufacturing sites and the Gemalink container terminal.
This low-carbon logistics model is designed to be replicated with other customers and in additional countries, especially where inland waterways play a key role in supply chains, said the French carrier.
The electric barge is scheduled to enter service in early 2026.
