CMA CGM has stepped up its decarbonization of river transport in Southeast Asia with the launch of the first fully electric container barge 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 French maritime, land, air, and logistics solutions provider said as part of the initiative, it has signed an agreement with its long-standing partner Gemadept, a key 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, reinforcing both partners’ commitment to sustainable logistics. 

The electric barge was jointly designed by CMA CGM’s CMA Ships and R&D teams and will be powered by a dedicated charging station connected to a new solar farm located on the Gemalink terminal at Cai Mep. 

CMA CGM noted that the facility is expected to generate up to 1 GWh of green electricity per year — and the 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. 

The announcement said 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. 

 [Source: CMA CGM]

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. 

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