CMA CGM Launches First 100% Electric River Barge with NIKE in Vietnam | Container news

France’s CMA CGM launches the first fully electric container barge with NIKE in Vietnam, 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.

The container giant CMA CGM has sealed a deal 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.

As it is reported, NIKE, a long-time customer of CMA CGM, 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.

The electric barge is scheduled to enter service in early 2026.

The electric barge was jointly designed by CMA CGM’s CMA Ships and R&D teams. It will be powered by a dedicated 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.

CMA CGM, which is present in Vietnam since 1989 with 5 offices, 29 weekly maritime services, and over 550 employees, claims that 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.