Hapag-Lloyd invests in more reefer capacity

The German liner carrier ordered 5,750 new refrigerated containers from Carrier Transicold and Daikin Reefer, and will gradually integrate them into their existing container fleet in October.    German liner carrier Hapag-Lloyd announced Monday it has ordered 5,750 new refrigerated containers – 5,000 from Carrier Transicold and 750 from Daikin Reefer – 750 of which are 20-foot units.
   In addition, 1,000 new containers are equipped with “controlled atmosphere” technology, which allows fruits and vegetables to be transported for longer periods of time without degradation in quality.
   The company said the reefer boxes will start to be delivered in October and will be gradually integrated into the existing container fleet.
   Hapag-Lloyd is making refrigerated transport a high priority and operates one of the largest reefer fleets in the world.
   Last summer, the carrier ordered 6,000 40-foot reefer containers.
   In 2015, Hapag-Lloyd ordered five new 10,500-TEU containerships with a high number of slots for reefers.
   The new containerships of the “Valparaíso Express” class are currently being built in South Korea and are scheduled to incrementally go to sea between South America and Europe beginning in late 2016. Each of these ships boasts a very high reefer capacity of more than 2,100 units.
   “Hapag-Lloyd is one of the world’s biggest suppliers in the reefer segment and numbers among the market leaders in South America,” Hapag-Lloyd Chief Operating Officer Anthony J. Firmin, said in a statement. “With the newly ordered reefers, we will be able to continue offering state-of-the-art equipment to our customers, while at the same time, optimizing the efficiency of our container fleet. In this way, we are especially optimally equipped for the South America traffic, which is important in the reefer business.”
   Hapag-Lloyd and Carrier Transicold are currently testing a new generation of refrigeration equipment that uses eco-friendly natural refrigerant carbon dioxide and, in the long run, could replace the chemical refrigerants now standard in the sector.