Seatrade orders 4,000 reefer containers from MCI

Maersk Container Industry received a $55 million order to manufacturer 4,000 new reefer containers for Antwerp-based shipping company Seatrade Reefer Chartering.    Maersk Container Industry (MCI) will manufacture 4,000 new reefer containers for the Antwerp-based shipping company Seatrade Reefer Chartering. The $55 million order will be completed by the end of December.
   MCI said, “Given the importance of the export of perishable cargos from South America, a proportion of the 4,000 units will be manufactured in MCI’s new factory in San Antonio, Chile, ready for the fruit season in the southern hemisphere. The remainder of the order will be fulfilled by MCI’s facility in Qingdao, China.”
   The Star Cool Integrated reefer containers will be equipped with the latest technology to protect perishable cargo during long-distance transportation and keep energy consumption at a minimum.
   Seatrade is a leading operator of specialized refrigerated cargo ships with a fleet of 100 vessels. Most of its ships are breakbulk reefer ships, some of which also have reefer container capacity on deck. Seatrade also has begun operating specialized reefer containerships, taking delivery of its second reefer containership, Seatrade Orange, from the Yangfan Shipyard in August. It has two more scheduled for delivery next year.
   SeaTrade said it tested the containers extensively before placing the order with MCI.
   “Besides timely delivery, our customers need the longest possible shelf life for their produce,” Seatrade President and Chairman Yntze Buitenwerf said. “The vast majority of our cargo is perishable fruit and vegetables requiring chilled mode transportation with narrow variations in temperature and monitoring of food preservation. In addition, energy efficiency, whole life costs and long-term operational value are critical to our operations. To ensure these parameters are met, we carried out extensive field test trials and carefully analyzed performance.”