CMA CGM is taking a major step toward low-carbon transportation in Southeast Asia by launching the region’s first fully electric container barge in Vietnam. The barge will serve the busy 180-kilometer stretch between Binh Duong Province and the Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu port, cutting about 778 tons of carbon emissions each year.
To power the barge, CMA CGM and its longtime partner Gemadept are building a solar-powered charging station at Cai Mep, Vietnam’s main container port near Ho Chi Minh City. The new solar farm, located at the Gemalink terminal, is expected to produce up to 1 GWh of green electricity per year.
CMA CGM and Gemadept have also formed a joint venture called Green River Transportation to run the electric barge and expand river shipping services in the Mekong Delta. The project is part of CMA CGM’s wider push to go carbon-neutral by 2050.
This project comes as CMA CGM expands its footprint in Vietnam, including a newly announced $600 million container terminal in Haiphong, set to open in 2028.
NIKE, which has worked with CMA CGM for years, is the first company to sign on to use the electric barge. It will move goods from its manufacturing sites in Vietnam to the port for export.
“With this electric barge, solar power, and on-site charging, CMA CGM is giving NIKE an efficient and emissions-free way to move goods,” the company said.
CMA CGM has operated in Vietnam since 1989. It currently operates 29 weekly shipping services and employs over 550 people in the country. The new barge is set to launch in early 2026.
The company hopes this zero-emissions model can be copied in other parts of the world where river transportation plays a key role.
