Last year, the French liner shipping company CMA CGM announced its entry into inland shipping in Vietnam. This is now followed by a newbuild order.
From 2026, an all-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.
The ship required for this has now been ordered in China. It will be built by Shandong Xinneng Shipbuilding. The purely electrically powered inland vessel will be 80 m long and be able to carry 182 TEU.
The batteries installed on board are to be recharged on land using green electricity. The necessary infrastructure will be installed in Cai Mep. A new solar park on the Gemalink site will produce 1 GWh annually.
Nike is CMA CGM’s customer
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 an intermodal network through CEVA Logistics.
Nike is the freight customer behind the project. The US sporting goods manufacturer has committed to utilizing 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.
