The French liner shipping company CMA CGM, the world’s No. 3, recently invested a lot of money in its logistics division. Now inland ports and barges are being added.
The fleet of the container liner shipping company CMA CGM comprises almost 650 ships with a total capacity of over 3.8 million TEU. This makes it No. 3 in the global ranking behind MSC and Maersk. Now inland vessels are being added in faraway Vietnam.
It was only recently announced that the Marseille-based shipping company had acquired a stake in the inland terminal in Lyon. Now its transport activities are also being expanded to include inland shipping in Vietnam.
From 2026, a fully electric inland vessel is to be used to transport containers on a 90 km route between Binh Duong and the Gemalink deep-sea terminal in Cai Mep, in which CMA CGM holds a 25% stake. The target is an annual transport volume of 50,000 TEU and a CO2 reduction of 778 tons.
CMA CGM has been present in Vietnam since 198
The batteries installed on board are to be charged at charging stations on land. A charging station will be installed in Cai Mep for this purpose, which will be supplied with green electricity. A new solar park on the Gemalink site will produce 1 GWh annually.
The CMA CGM Group has been present in Vietnam since 1989 and currently has five offices in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Haiphong, Danang and Quy Nhon with more than 550 employees. The group operates 29 weekly services in seven ports across the country, connecting key global destinations with a state-of-the-art intermodal network through CEVA Logistics.
Nike is the freight customer behind the project. The US sporting goods manufacturer has committed to utilising the e-barge. “We look forward to replicating and adapting this innovative solution with other cargo owners looking for more sustainable transportation solutions,” said Christine Cabau-Woehrel, Executive Vice President at CMA CGM.
