MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company is expanding its fleet with a big order of 5,000 refrigerated containers equipped with Carrier Transicold’s XtendFRESH atmosphere control technology.
The XtendFRESH system manages oxygen and carbon dioxide levels within refrigerated containers and removes ethylene, thus slowing the ripening of produce, according to a news release.
The XtendFRESH-equipped containers are being leased through SeaCube Containers LLC, according to the release.
Carrier Transicold is a part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp.
“By adding atmosphere control for selected perishable cargoes, we are enhancing the care we provide for the valuable commodities we ship for our customers,” Giuseppe Prudente, chief logistics officer, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, said in a news release. “XtendFRESH technology enables MSC to transport fruit and other refrigerated cargo over longer distances, creating tremendous new opportunities for exporters and importers.”
The order is the largest for the XtendFRESH option since the system was introduced in 2013, according to the release. It adds to the growing trend among shipping lines to provide controlled-atmosphere technology for the benefit of their customers, Willy Yeo, director, marketing, Global Container Refrigeration, Carrier Transicold, said in the release.
“MSC is just one example of the very strong demand we’ve seen for controlled-atmosphere equipment,” SeaCube CEO Robert Sappio said in the release. He said controlled atmosphere is a way for shipping lines to assure their customers that they are carrying their products more safely.
The XtendFRESH system’s patented, self-regenerating activated-carbon scrubber assembly captures carbon dioxide and ethylene, a hormone given off by ripening produce that can accelerate ripening if left unchecked. As perishable cargo consumes oxygen, on-demand fresh-air ventilation automatically maintains the optimum level inside the container.
“The innovative XtendFRESH system allows shipping lines to optimize conditions for specific commodities,” Carrier Transicold’s Yeo said. “It is the only atmosphere control solution with an integrated ethylene removal capability.”
