German-based container shipping company Hamburg Süd has revealed that it has plans to extend its use of technology from reefer market leader Carrier Transicold.
Hamburg Süd, a dominant ocean carrier in the South American segment, has used the XtendFRESH controlled-atmosphere (CA) technology from Carrier Transicold to transport more than 7,000 container shipments of avocados and bananas since it embraced the technology 2017.
It revealed at the Intermodal Europe conference and exhibition in Amsterdam that XtendFRESH will transport an even broader range of perishables in 2018.
Stefan Dühring, Global Head of Logistics at Hamburg Süd, said: “There is a great deal of enthusiasm on the part of exporters to use controlled atmosphere technologies to reach new regions for their perishable goods.
“The number of shipments using XtendFRESH technology represents a significant and growing segment of our refrigerated shipments.”
The XtendFRESH system simultaneously controls carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2) levels in multiple combinations within a refrigerated shipping container to reduce respiration and the ripening of fruits and vegetables.
Learn how temperature control is a component of containerization that has continued to rise in importance with international trade by reading the 'Keeping Cool: Challenges for Containerised Reefer Trade' technical paper
This enables a shipping line to transport exported perishable goods over longer times than with refrigeration alone, helping to reach new destinations.
XtendFRESH can also remove ethylene, a hormone released by produce, which can accelerate ripening if left unchecked.
Carrier Transicold has claimed that the system is the only CA solution with an integral ethylene removal capability.
Hamburg Süd, which collaborated with Carrier Transicold on system capabilities and testing during the development of the XtendFRESH system, began acquiring Carrier Transicold PrimeLINE units equipped with XtendFRESH technology in 2014.
Dühring added: “We’ve had success using the XtendFRESH system for avocados and bananas in many of our key refrigerated trade lanes.
“Our confidence in using XtendFRESH technology with higher-respiring perishables has led us to initiate plans to trial the system with shipments of South America-grown blueberries, a lower respiring fruit.”
Read more: Hapag-Lloyd is expanding its container fleet through an order of 3,700 Star Cool Integrated containers from Maersk Container Industry (MCI)
