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CMA CGM Launches Inland Electric Barge to Support Nike in Vietnam

electric barge
CMA CGM launched a fully electric inland barge service to support Nike in Viertnam

By The Maritime Executive 2026-10-29 18:31:14

CMA CGM, working with Nike and port operator Gemadept, launched a new electric inland waterway transport solution in Vietnam, designed to support Nike’s supply chain decarbonization efforts. The shipping company said the innovative solution is designed as a model that can potentially be replicated in other geographies and adapted to other customer supply chains.

The project, which was first announced in December 2024, combines the electric barge with a dedicated charging station at Gemalink, the deep-sea terminal operated by Gemadept in Cai Mep. Power for the charging station is supplied from a dedicated solar farm at Gemalink.

 According to the announcement, the barge is designed to transport more than 50,000 TEU annually. It will move between Nike’s inland drop-off location in Ho Chi Minh City and the port. The round trip is approximately 112 miles.

Speaking with The Business Times, CMA CGM said Nike has an eight-year agreement and has committed to fill 90 percent of the barge’s capacity. They point to the ability to alleviate road transportation with a lower-carbon alternative that is expected to avoid approximately 778 tons of CO2 emissions each year.

CMA CGM told The Business Times that the initial investment in the electric barge is approximately twice that of a comparable diesel-powered vessel. They said the project depends on the infrastructure to support the operation as well as the customer’s long-term commitment.

Still, CMA CGM believes it illustrates the potential of inland waterways to provide more suitable alternatives for transportation of goods while improving environmental performance of supply chains.

“Decarbonizing global supply chains requires moving beyond ambition to deliver concrete, scalable solutions,” said Christine Cabau, Executive Vice President Assets and Operations, CMA CGM, in the company’s press release. “This fully electric barge is a powerful example of what can be achieved when shipping companies, customers and terminal operators combine their expertise and commitment. Together with Nike and Gemadept, we are demonstrating that innovative, lower-carbon inland transportation solutions are already within reach. Now, CMA CGM aims to build on this success to accelerate its deployment across other markets and supply chains.”

The barge was co-designed by CMA CGM’s New Build and R&D teams in partnership with China’s CATL for the battery technology. They also worked with China’s Jining Energy Group for the energy. They announced the order for the barge in March 2025, reporting it would be built by China’s Shandong Xinneng Shipbuilding. The plan called for an 80-meter (262-foot) barge, with a capacity of approximately 180 TEU, that would sail entirely on battery power. The electric barge can be recharged in approximately four hours using certified renewable electricity.

CMA CGM highlights that it has been present in Vietnam since 2006 and operates 29 weekly mainline services calling at seven ports across the country, connecting Vietnam to major global destinations.

The company revealed in February this year that it was pursuing a plan to launch an electric river container barge on the Rhône River to transport nearly 12,000 TEU annually. They were exploring the development of a barge that would be 185 meters (approximately 607 feet) long, with a capacity of 156 TEU. CMA CGM said the plan calls for launching the barge service within two years, using a hybrid electric river barge on the Fos-Lyon axis.