During a visit to Lyon with Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot, CMA CGM CEO Rodolphe Saadé announced the commissioning of an electric barge on the Rhône between Port Marseille Fos and the Rhône-Alpes capital. The Marseille-based shipping line recently secured a 30-year sub-concession for the Lyon Rhône Terminal multimodal facility.
Electric Barge Specifications
With a capacity of 156 TEU, the electric barge will be delivered in 2028 and target annual traffic of 12,000 TEU. “For service operation and commercialization, discussions are already underway with operator Combronde,” CMA CGM notes. “In parallel, we are working closely with Compagnie Nationale du Rhône on technical studies for charging stations in Lyon and Arles, with construction starting this week, in coordination with the Sud and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions, as well as European funding mechanisms.”
Doubling Traffic by 2030
By 2030, CMA CGM aims to double Lyon Rhône Terminal’s containerized traffic, with annual handling of 100,000 river containers and 80,000 rail containers. To achieve this goal, the shipping line and its partners will invest €40M over two years in terminal modernization.
Increased Service Frequency
“Last year, a structural decision to accelerate development of the Fos-Lyon corridor accompanied this investment program launch,” CMA CGM notes. “In a context where river service relied on four departures per week with 36-hour transit time, we decided to partner with Combronde on two additional barges per week to offer shippers a more frequent, regular, and attractive solution.”
