Cargo Business Techwire

Friday, February 5, 2016

Top Story

Hapag-Lloyd adds 3,000 reefers to fleet

Hapag-Lloyd recently announced it has added 3,000 PrimeLINE® units to its fleet, with 1,000 of the refrigerated containers equipped with Carrier Transicold’s XtendFRESH™ controlled-atmosphere system.

The XtendFRESH system actively manages oxygen and carbon dioxide levels within refrigerated containers and removes ethylene, the statement said, slowing the ripening of produce. Hapag-Lloyd’s order is the largest for the XtendFRESH option since its introduction in 2013. The PrimeLINE units were installed on 40-foot high-cube containers.

The system’s self-regenerating activated-carbon scrubber assembly captures carbon dioxide and ethylene, a hormone emitted by ripening produce that can accelerate ripening. No other product integral to the container actively manages carbon dioxide and oxygen and removes ethylene, according to the statement.

"Now being deployed in support of the South America harvest season, the newly ordered containers improve our capabilities with sensitive

fruits and vegetables by helping to assure optimal produce quality for our customers," said Niklas Ohling, head of container steering, Hapag-Lloyd. "As shipping patterns change, bringing longer routes, our investment in controlled-atmosphere technology will provide dividends for our customers by maintaining quality for produce such as bananas and mangos over extended shipping times."

Featuring a fleet of 175 modern container ships, Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd is one of the leading operators in the Atlantic and Latin America trades and the world’s fourth largest container carrier.