The Evolution of Reefer Containers Aims at Efficiency

The usage of reefer containers has been increasing at a rate of 30% year over year and this trend is slated to continue in the near future. As a result reefer containers were a major topic of discussion at Intermodel Europe this past October. Intermodel Europe took place in Hamburg, Germany and brought togethermany of the industry leaders in intermodal shipping across Europe. The hot topic surrounding refrigerated containers was regarding improving their efficiency. Thermo King, an exhibitor at Intermodal Europe 2013, unveiled upgrades to its Thermo King MAGNUM PLUS® transport temperature control system which was originally released in 2009. This company has dominated the industry for more than 20 years and the company’s products are ranked as the lightest, most efficient and most powerful. In addition, there is also discussion that more needs to be done to improve the sales of second-hand reefer containers in order to address the growing quantities of oldreefer containers that would otherwise be retired from use. Maersk Container Industry also announced their efforts for 2014 to help reduce food waste in refrigeration container shipping by joining the United Nations’ SAVE FOOD Initiative. The program aim to increase the efficiency of food logistics. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that nearly 50% of fruits and vegetables grown around the world are lost in the journey from the farm to markets. The estimate also concludes that depending on the part of the world, the loss cause by poor efficiency in transportation and shipping could be anywhere from 5% up to 20%. The percentage lost varies depending on the region of the world. This year’s show marked the return of several leading Asian reefer container manufacturers and support companiesincluding Yangzhou Tonglee Reefer Container Co. Ltd.and Xin Sanly Reefer Container Technical Company also presented at Intermodal Europe. Yangzhou Tonglee Reefer Container Co. Ltd. has more than 20years of experience in manufacturing refrigerated containers and therefore has made significant strides in improving the efficiency of the company’s containers. For another company,Dong Fang International Investment Limited, a container leasing, trading and management company, it was the company’s first appearance at the show.