CMA CGM, Nike, and Gemadept launch a fully electric barge in Vietnam to reduce carbon emissions and enhance sustainable supply chains.
CMA CGM, Nike, and Gemadept have officially launched a new fully electric barge solution in Vietnam. The project is designed to reduce the carbon footprint of inland transportation and to support Nike's efforts to decarbonize its supply chain.
CMA CGM has operated in Vietnam since 2006. It runs 29 weekly mainline services calling at seven ports across the country. The new barge builds on that presence with a lower-carbon option for moving containers between inland locations and deep-sea gateways.
The 100% electric barge connects Nike's inland drop-off location in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Binh Duong province) with Gemalink, Gemadept's deep-sea terminal in Cai Mep, over a 180-kilometer round trip.
The barge is designed to transport more than 50,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units, the standard measure of container volume) each year. It provides cargo owners with a lower-carbon alternative to road transportation for inland cargo movements. Powered by electric batteries and recharged with certified renewable electricity, the barge is expected to avoid approximately 778 tons of CO2 emissions annually.
For shippers moving high volumes through southern Vietnam, the route demonstrates how inland waterways can carry goods more sustainably and improve the environmental performance of supply chains.
The project brings together three key elements: the electric barge, developed by CMA CGM's New Build and R&D teams and equipped with battery technology from CATL; dedicated charging infrastructure at Gemalink, capable of recharging the barge in approximately four hours using certified renewable electricity; and renewable energy production through a solar farm developed at the Gemalink terminal, which supplies the charging infrastructure.
Together, these elements link low-emission transportation directly to renewable energy production. The result is a closed-loop model rather than a stand-alone vessel.
The launch marks an important step in the collaboration among the three partners. It builds on CMA CGM's commitment to decarbonizing transport and logistics and combines the expertise of Nike and Gemadept.
Christine Cabau, Executive Vice President of Assets and Operations at CMA CGM, stated: 'Decarbonizing global supply chains requires moving beyond ambition to deliver concrete, scalable solutions. 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 their deployment across other markets and supply chains.'
Cimarron Nix, Chief Sustainability Officer at NIKE, Inc., remarked: 'Reducing emissions across a global supply chain takes more than any one company. It takes new ideas, strong partnerships, and a willingness to rethink how we operate. This project with CMA CGM and Gemadept is a great example of how we can work together to turn innovation into practical solutions that reduce our impact while building a more resilient supply chain.'
Do Cong Khanh, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Gemadept Corporation and Chairman of Gemalink Deep-Sea Port, commented: 'As a leading port and logistics operator in Vietnam, Gemadept believes that the future of sustainable logistics depends on stronger connections among ports, inland waterways, and clean energy. The launch of this fully electric barge with CMA CGM and Nike marks an important milestone in bringing that vision to life. By integrating electric transport, dedicated charging infrastructure, and renewable energy at Gemalink, the project demonstrates how partnership and innovation can turn sustainability ambitions into practical solutions. We believe this model has strong potential to be expanded and replicated, contributing to the long-term transition towards low-carbon logistics in Vietnam.'
The partners designed the project as a model that could be replicated in other geographies and adapted to other customer supply chains. Shippers, forwarders, and buyers are under growing pressure to show measurable emissions cuts. The barge offers a working example of how inland waterway transport can fit into multimodal networks to support that goal.
