CMA CGM, Nike and Gemadept launch electric container barge in Vietnam
CMA CGM, Nike and Gemadept have officially launched a fully electric inland container barge in Vietnam, introducing a battery-powered transport solution connecting an inland cargo location in Ho Chi Minh City with the Gemalink deep-sea terminal in Cai Mep.
The barge will operate over a 180-kilometre round trip, providing an alternative to road transportation for Nike’s containerised cargo. According to CMA CGM, the vessel is designed to transport more than 50,000 TEU annually, with the project expected to avoid approximately 778 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year.
The system combines the electric barge with dedicated charging infrastructure at Gemalink and electricity supplied through certified renewable energy. A solar farm developed at the terminal forms part of the integrated transport and charging solution.
Developed by CMA CGM’s New Build and Research and Development teams, the barge incorporates battery technology supplied by CATL. The vessel can be recharged in approximately four hours, using certified renewable electricity, and is designed to operate without direct greenhouse gas emissions during transportation.
The launch follows earlier development work by CMA CGM and its partners to establish a lower-carbon inland waterway transport system for cargo moving between manufacturing and logistics facilities in southern Vietnam and the country’s deep-sea shipping network.
Electric transport connects inland logistics with Gemalink
The new solution connects Nike’s inland cargo operations with Gemalink, a deep-sea container terminal operated by Gemadept in the Cai Mep port area.
The terminal serves as the maritime endpoint of the electric barge’s route, with dedicated charging facilities supporting the vessel’s inland transport operations. By integrating waterborne container transport with renewable electricity generation, the project brings together several components of the logistics chain.
Christine Cabau, Executive Vice President Assets and Operations at CMA CGM, said the project demonstrated cooperation between shipping companies, cargo owners and terminal operators in developing lower-carbon inland transport solutions.
Cimarron Nix, Chief Sustainability Officer at Nike, highlighted the role of partnerships in reducing emissions across the company’s supply chain.
Do Cong Khanh, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Gemadept Corporation and Chairman of Gemalink Deep-Sea Port, said the project combined electric transport, charging infrastructure and renewable energy to support the development of lower-carbon logistics in Vietnam.
CMA CGM said the solution has been designed with the potential for deployment in other markets and adaptation to the supply chains of additional customers.
The shipping group operates 29 weekly mainline services calling at seven Vietnamese ports and maintains an intermodal logistics network in the country through CEVA Logistics.
The electric barge project adds a new inland transport component to CMA CGM’s operations in Vietnam, linking container movements with dedicated renewable-energy infrastructure at the Gemalink terminal.
