Del Monte Fresh Produce Inc. is transitioning to eco-friendly containerships, and the first shipments of fruit in the energy-efficient vessels recently arrived at Port Manatee, Palmetto, Fla.
The Del Monte Spirit’s first arrival at the port was Jan. 9. Del Monte has been importing fruit at Port Manatee since 1989, according to a news release.
The fruit company has six of the vessels to import bananas, pineapples and avocados. They have a capacity of 1,276 twenty-foot-equivalent container units (TEUs), with 634 plugs for 40-foot-long high-cube refrigerated containers.
“As one of the world’s leading producers, marketers and distributors of fresh fruits and vegetables, we have set a very high bar for all the reefer containers and ships in our fleet, ”Helmuth Lutty, senior vice president of shipping operations at the Coral Gables, Fla.-based Del Monte, said in the release. “These six new vessels set the bar even higher, and allow us to deliver the high-quality fresh fruits and vegetables we are known for while meeting our sustainability goals.”
The ships have a fuel-efficient hull design, emissions-reducing scrubber systems and can operate on shore power at ports.
Del Monte and port officials attended a ceremony for the Del Monte Spirit’s inaugural call at Port Manatee, giving tours of the vessel to attendees.
“These new-generation vessels bring significant sustainability and operational advances while heralding the next era in Port Manatee’s long-term partnership with one of North America’s leading marketers and distributors of fresh produce,” Reggie Bellamy, chairman of the Manatee County Port Authority, said during the ceremony.
Carlos Buqueras, the port’s executive director, said the Del Monte vessels represent the latest development in the advancement of Port Manatee as Central and South Florida’s preferred gateway of global commerce.
“Fruits arriving on these ships further add to the record volumes of containerized cargo crossing Port Manatee docks and underscore the importance of key infrastructure enhancements,” he said in the release.
Port Manatee saw a record 88,466 TEUs of containerized cargo in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, almost 55% higher than the previous year and 2.3 times higher than in fiscal year 2018, according to the release. The port will complete an $8.3 million project to double the size of its 10-acre dockside container yard.
