CMA CGM launches its first electric barge in Vietnam, backed by Nike cargo
The footwear giant commits to filling 90% of the vessel’s capacity for eight years, offsetting higher investment costs
FRANCE’S CMA CGM, the world’s third-largest container shipping company by fleet capacity, has launched its first fully electric barge globally in Vietnam on Thursday (Oct 29), betting that the South-east Asian manufacturing hub’s extensive waterways and growing cargo flows can support a new model for lower-carbon inland freight transport.
The project is underpinned by an eight-year agreement with US sportswear giant Nike as an anchor customer to fill 90 per cent of the vessel’s capacity, Bo Wegener, chief executive officer of CMA CGM Asia Pacific, told The Business Times in a written response.
“The initial investment in the electric barge is approximately twice that of a comparable diesel-powered vessel,” he said, noting that the business case of this model then depends on charging infrastructure, renewable energy supply and costs, long-term customer commitments and efficient operations.
“(Nike’s commitment) provides a strong foundation for the project’s commercial viability,” Wegener added.
The battery-powered barge connects Nike’s inland cargo drop-off location with the Gemalink deep-sea terminal at the Cai Mep port complex, both within the expanded Ho Chi Minh City, which now encompasses the former provinces of Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau.
Operated in partnership with Vietnamese port operator Gemadept, the vessel is also Vietnam’s first fully electric inland container barge. It claims to produce no direct greenhouse gas emissions on its 180 km round trip and powered by certified renewable electricity from a dedicated solar farm at Gemalink.
Designed to handle more than 50,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) annually, it is also expected to stop approximately 778 tonnes of carbon dioxide from being emitted each year and provide a lower-carbon alternative to road transportation for inland cargo movements, according to the companies.
The rollout marks CMA CGM’s efforts in accelerating the decarbonisation of its transport and logistics in South-east Asia while supporting Nike’s push to reduce emissions across its global supply chain.
The US footwear giant began manufacturing in Vietnam in 1995 with five contract footwear factories, gradually expanding the country into its largest production base worldwide.
In fiscal year 2026, factories in Vietnam produced approximately 52 per cent of Nike-branded footwear and 34 per cent of its apparel globally, according to the US sportswear giant’s latest annual report.
Vietnam as a testing ground
The French group currently operates a fleet of more than 700 vessels serving over 420 ports worldwide, carrying more than 24 million TEUs globally in 2025.
It has operated in Vietnam since 2006 and currently runs 29 weekly mainline services calling at seven ports nationwide.
“Vietnam is a key manufacturing and logistics hub in Asia, with significant cargo flows between inland production centres and deep-sea ports,” Wegener said.
“Its extensive inland waterway network presents opportunities to develop more sustainable transportation solutions.”
The vessel was designed and developed by CMA CGM and built at a shipyard in China, using battery technology supplied by Chinese manufacturer CATL.
It has an operating range of 180 kilometres and can be recharged in approximately four hours. Its batteries can also be swapped in about 30 minutes during container loading or unloading, allowing energy replenishment to be incorporated into routine cargo-handling operations.
Beyond Nike, CMA CGM is exploring opportunities to adapt the electric barge model to other customers’ supply chains in Vietnam and elsewhere.
It is considering replicating the Vietnamese model in other inland waterway networks, including in Europe, although it has not committed to specific investment plans or deployment schedules.
Wegener said potential projects were being examined in northern France, the Benelux region along the Rhine, and on the Seine and Rhône rivers.
However, future expansion would depend on the vessel’s operational performance, local infrastructure and opportunities to work with customers and partners, he added.
“This project is designed as a model that can potentially be replicated in other geographies and adapted to different customer supply chains,” he said. “Strong partnerships are essential to making such solutions commercially viable and scalable.” THE BUSINESS TIMES
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