CMA CGM takes a new step in decarbonizing the Fos–Lyon corridor with the launch of an electric river barge on the Rhône

During a visit to Lyon, in the presence of the French Minister for Transport, Philippe Tabarot, and the President of CCI Lyon Métropole Saint-Étienne Roanne, Philippe Valentin, Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the CMA CGM Group, announces a major new step in the development of inland waterway transport on the Mediterranean-Rhône-Saône (MeRS) corridor, with the launch of an unprecedented electric barge project on this strategic corridor within a two-year timeframe.

CMA CGM is preparing the deployment of an electric and hybrid inland barge on the Fos–Lyon corridor. This innovative project includes:

• A barge 185 meters long,
• A capacity of 156 TEUs,
• An annual potential of nearly 12,000 TEUs.

Delivery is scheduled for 2028, with construction in Europe. Discussions are at an advanced stage with operator Combronde for the operation and commercial deployment of the service.

At the same time, CMA CGM is working closely with Compagnie Nationale du Rhône (CNR) on technical studies relating to charging stations in Lyon and Arles, with works starting this week, in coordination with the Sud and Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes Regions, as well as with European funding mechanisms.

CMA CGM, leading a consortium comprising Banque des Territoires, CCI Lyon Métropole Saint-Étienne Roanne and CCI métropolitaine Aix-Marseille-Provence, reached a major milestone in April 2025 with the award of the sub-concession of Lyon Rhône Terminal (LRT), a strategic multi-user, multimodal terminal on the MeRS corridor.

An investment of €40 million has been confirmed to modernize the terminal’s inland port facilities, with works to be launched as early as this year.

By 2030, the Group has set ambitious targets:

• To double inland waterway volumes, reaching 100,000 TEUs per year,
• To double rail volumes, reaching 60,000 TEUs per year.

These investments were accompanied, as early as last year, by a structuring decision to accelerate the development of the Fos–Lyon corridor. At a time when inland waterway services were based on four weekly departures with a transit time of 36 hours, CMA CGM decided to commit alongside operator Combronde to two additional barges per week, in order to offer shippers a more frequent, reliable and attractive solution.

This initiative aims to promote a regular, reliable, competitive and decarbonized logistics solution between the Port of Marseille-Fos, Lyon and the Rhône Valley, to accelerate modal shift and relieve congestion on the A7 motorway.

Recognized as a strategic logistics corridor for the national economy and the ecological transition, the Mediterranean-Rhône-Saône axis plays a structuring role in the development of territories and French supply chains. It serves major economic hubs such as Fos-Berre, the Plaine de l’Ain and the Vallée de la Chimie.

From an environmental perspective, the MeRS corridor is a key lever to accelerate the transition of freight transport. Today, only 20% of freight flows use alternatives to road transport, including 5% by inland waterways and 15% by rail. A largely underexploited modal shift potential must be promoted among shippers in the Auvergne–Rhône-Alpes Region.

CCI Lyon Métropole Saint-Étienne Roanne, CCI métropolitaine Aix-Marseille-Provence, as well as the Grand Port Maritime de Marseille, are developing initiatives to promote the use of inland waterways.

Inland waterway transport is currently the most virtuous mode, with up to 80% lower CO₂ emissions compared to road transport.