CMA CGM, Nike and Gemadept have officially launched a new fully electric barge solution in Vietnam, designed to reduce the carbon footprint of inland transportation and contribute to Nike’s supply chain decarbonization efforts.
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. Powered by electric batteries and recharged with certified renewable electricity, the barge is expected to avoid approximately 778 tons of CO₂ emissions annually. The integrated solution combines the electric barge, dedicated charging infrastructure and renewable energy production through a solar farm at Gemalink. The barge is designed to transport more than 50,000 TEUs annually, providing a lower-carbon alternative to road transportation for inland cargo movements. The project illustrates the potential of inland waterways to provide more sustainable alternatives for the transportation of goods while improving the environmental performance of supply chains.
The launch marks an important step in the collaboration between CMA CGM, Nike and Gemadept to develop more sustainable logistics solutions in Vietnam. Building on CMA CGM’s commitment to decarbonizing transport and logistics, and combining the expertise of Nike and Gemadept, the three partners are working together to develop a new, lower-carbon inland waterway transport solution in Vietnam.
Developed by CMA CGM’s New Build and R&D teams, the electric barge incorporates battery technology from CATL and can be recharged in approximately four hours using certified renewable electricity. Its dedicated charging infrastructure at Gemalink is supplied by a solar farm developed at the terminal, creating an integrated solution that combines low-emission transportation with renewable energy production.
The project is designed as a model that can potentially be replicated in other geographies and adapted to other customer supply chains, supporting the broader transition towards more sustainable inland transportation.
Cimarron Nix, Chief Sustainability Officer, NIKE, Inc. declared: “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.”
