Shipping company CMA CGM has announced plans to deploy Vietnam’s first fully electric container barge, supported by a solar-powered charging station at the Cai Mep port near Ho Chi Minh City.
Developed in partnership with Vietnamese logistics company Gemadept, the vessel will be operated by a newly formed joint venture, Green River Transportation, tasked with managing river transport in the Mekong Delta.
The project integrates a dedicated charging station with a solar plant located at the Gemalink container terminal. The facility is expected to produce up to 1 GWh of renewable electricity annually, supplying the 180 km inland waterway route between Bình Dương Province and Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu.
CMA CGM estimates the zero-emissions solution will reduce CO₂ emissions by 778 tonnes per year. “The low-carbon logistics model was designed to be replicated with other customers in additional countries, especially where inland waterways played a key role in supply chains,” the company said.
Nike is the first customer to adopt the new barge service, connecting its Vietnam-based manufacturing sites to the Gemalink terminal.
The vessel is scheduled to enter service in early 2026.
