Specialised reefers poised to disrupt air cargo’s cut-flower dominance
Modern reefer and controlled-atmosphere containers could enable a modal shift in the cut-flower segment – ...
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By David Badger
Hapag-Lloyd is investing a double-digit-million amount in its container fleet with an order for 6,000 (12,000 teu) of the latest generation of reefer containers.
The company is already one of the largest reefer carriers in the world today. This strong position will enable Hapag-Lloyd to benefit from increasing transport volumes not just on east-west trades, but also on north-south and Latin American trades.
“We operate a state-of-the-art reefer fleet that is the fourth-largest in the world. With the new reefers, we are expanding our leading position even further in this specialised business with its specific demands and will thus benefit from the growing reefer market,” said Rolf Habben Jansen, Chief Executive Officer of Hapag-Lloyd AG.
“With our enhanced reefer fleet, we are ideally positioned for the Latin American trade, which is an important part of the reefer business – right on time for the opening of the expanded Panama Canal next year.”
In April, Hapag-Lloyd ordered five new 10,500teu ships with a high number of slots for reefers. Each of these ships can accommodate up to 2,100. The company said the newbuildings would be used primarily on trades to and from South America, as this region is one of the strongest reefer markets in the world. The new reefers are to be gradually integrated into the container fleet, starting in the coming weeks.
Chief Operating Officer Anthony Firmin added: “With the new reefers, we will be offering our customers access to state-of-the-art equipment and together with our technical and operational expertise, we will ensure that the most demanding cooled cargo reaches its destination safely. Our customers value our reliability and the efficiency of our processes.”
Hapag-Lloyd uses reefers to transport temperature-sensitive cargo such as fruits, vegetables and pharmaceutical products as well as meat and fish. Around 1,000 of the newly ordered containers will be fitted with controlled-atmosphere technology, which prolongs the life of certain fruits and vegetables, while maintaining the same quality. The state-of-the-art containers will also have cooling units with the highest level of efficiency.
The company added that thanks to optimised power control, they will consume significantly less energy, without any change to performance and temperature precision.
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