News / HMM invests in IoT technology to get reefer data in real time

South Korea’s flagship liner operator HMM will pilot Internet of Things (IoT) technology for shipping refrigerated and frozen containers.

IoT enables the pinpointing of the reefers’ real-time location as well as changes in temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide (CO₂) and vibration.

HMM said: “It’s very important for refrigerated and frozen containers to maintain a constant temperature to their destination.”

There has been greater interest in reefer transport for Covid-19 vaccinations worldwide, as some vaccines needed to be refrigerated. Add the fact that vaccines from different producers have varying storage temperatures, maintaining the correct ambiance for a prolonged period becomes a challenge.

HMM said, “If IoT equipment is installed onto refrigerated/frozen containers, not only can the location of cargo be identified, but real-time information such as changes in temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, and vibration of reefers loaded onto ships can be checked and controlled from anywhere.”

HMM plans to pilot IoT on reefers for one to two years before using the technology on all such containers.

As of this month, IoT equipment has been installed on about 800 new reefers, with HMM plans in place for 200 more by the end of the year.

In addition, a monitoring system will be installed by the end of December and, from next year, data analysis will be used for cost reduction, operational improvement and shipper services.