http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/MCI/IntegratedReeferNews1/IntegratedReeferNews/IntegratedReeferNewsJune2012/RSS.ashxiPaper PagesWed, 30 May 2012 15:37:36 +0200http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/MCI/IntegratedReeferNews1/IntegratedReeferNews/IntegratedReeferNewsJune2012/http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/MCI/IntegratedReeferNews1/IntegratedReeferNews/IntegratedReeferNewsJune2012/?Page=1http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/MCI/IntegratedReeferNews1/IntegratedReeferNews/IntegratedReeferNewsJune2012/?Page=1Integrated reefer NEWS June 2012 Turning the big wheel By Soren Leth Johannsen, Chief Commercial Officer A sense of cautious optimism seems to be emerging in the wake of recent freight rate surcharge announcements. The well-being of our customers is important as the container market needs to break away from the cut-throat freight rates to regain operational profitability. The reefer container market, meanwhile, is approaching the traditional seasonal low period that normally lasts until August. Nevertheless, the outlook for the reefer market remains positive. In this edition of Integrated Reefer News, you will learn from the experts about the effect of controlling fresh air ventilation in refrigerated containers. Various good systems offer this feature in the market but, as always, old habits are hard to change. It requires the industry to adapt. It requires changing the setting to CO2 percentage instead of CMH (cubic metres per hour) and CFM (cubic feet per minute). That’s a big wheel to turn, but since the benefits of automated ventilation are many, we are committed to continue working with our customers, the users, and post-harvest experts on this important subject. Four important milestones I’m happy to share with you four important milestones for MCI and in particular our Star Cool. It was only back in January 2011 that we produced our Star Cool unit number 50,000. That unit was delivered to Hanjin Shipping. Now, little more than a year later, Star Cool number 100,000 is already commissioned. See more inside in this issue of Integrated Reefer News. Another important milestone for Star Cool was to witness the firstever expiry and extension of a 5-year lease. The Intra Asia operator TS Line and lessor Cronos just announced the extension of this 2007 deal. “The extension deal offered by Cronos was very attractive, with continued support from MCI,” says Yanni Li, deputy junior vice president, Equipment Department, TS Lines. Nine lessors have already committed to Star Cool, and another important milestone was the first speculative order for Integrated Star Cool placed by a lessor for production in the 3rd quarter of 2012. We note the increased lessor acceptance. The fourth and final milestone I would like to mention is the 19 April ground-laying ceremony of our new reefer factory in San Antonio, Chile. With the new factory, we will help Latin America’s exporters gain easier access to reefer transport. On a final note, we at MCI wish to thank you for the sympathy and thoughts conveyed to our colleagues affected by the tragic reefer factory accident on March 30 in Qingdao. Furthermore, we have been most grateful for the understanding extended by directly affected customers, and for their cooperation in rearranging their production schedules to a later time. I hope you will enjoy reading this edition of Integrated Reefer News! April 19th was a very sunny day day in San Antonio, Chile, and provided a perfect scenery as the first stone in MCI’s new reefer container factory was founded. Following the great interest this project has already received, the ceremony attracted more than 150 invited guests. Among these was Mrs. Evelyn Matthei, the Chilean labour minister.2012-05-30T15:37:36+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/MCI/IntegratedReeferNews1/IntegratedReeferNews/IntegratedReeferNewsJune2012/?Page=2http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/MCI/IntegratedReeferNews1/IntegratedReeferNews/IntegratedReeferNewsJune2012/?Page=2Automa tic Vent ilation AV+ save Beat old habits and money Most people wouldn’t drive their cars with windows down and air conditioning on. But in the reefer trade, unfortunately, excessive air intake is the norm, mainly because auto-regulating technologies have not been affordable. Traditionally, many shippers have used past experience to fix the fresh air exchange settings on their reefers. This is a somewhat wasteful habit because a fixed fresh air exchange, in short AirEx, usually causes excess amounts of ambient air to enter the container with little or no relationship to the respiring cargo’s metabolic state. The solution, an automatic ventilation system, is not an MCI invention or exclusive to Star Cool units. What is new, though, is that MCI’s AV+ system is simple, easy to operate and relatively inexpensive. Reduce refrigeration cost Michael Reid, professor in post-harvest science at University of California, Davis, remarks that automatic ventilation control, solely based on the needs and behaviour of the product, is better for the cargo and the environment. “Controlled AirEx will reduce refrigeration costs and potentially improve product out-turns. Reduced ventilation reduces water loss, and if you control the CO2 concentration in the container, you may reduce storage disorders,” Reid observes. Avoid over-ventilation AV+ limits damage caused by over-ventilation; excessive warm ambient air needs to be cooled, and humid air condenses as water or frost. Both affect accurate temperature control, both use too much energy, and both can have a negative impact on cargo quality. Excessive cool ambient air needs to be heated, and it usually has a lower relative humidity than the cargo. This can contribute to dehydration and loss of weight or quality. Many perishable reefer cargos transit through different ambient conditions from loading to discharge, so they can potentially experience all the different consequences of excessive fresh air intake. AV+ saves between 10% and 25% “Operators go by old habits. As the saying goes: ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. This is true as current practices seem to work, but old habits can in some cases prevent progress when affordable technology becomes available,” says Anders G. Holm of MCI sales and marketing. MCI has recently live-tested AV+ with Crowley (tomatoes), Chiquita (bananas) and CMA-CGM (bananas), yielding demonstrable energy savings of between 10% and 25%. For 100,000 reefer shipments with an average transit time of 20 days, this equates to a USD 3 million saving. Currently, MCI’s AV+ costs about a quarter of similar existing options on the market. Calculating automatic air exchange can be complex, but Star Cool AV+ makes it easy for the operator. AV+ is just as simple to operate as the normal temperature setting. Now, a maximum CO2 setting is used instead of fixing a set intake of ambient air measured in cubic metres per hour or cubic feet per minute. “We are sure that more and more customers and their shippers will realise the benefits of maximum CO2 settings,” says Anders G. Holm. “For most perishable cargoes, it’s simply time to kick the old ‘open-vent’ habit.” ■ AV+ also benefits fruit and produce “The longest period of time during the post-harvest life of produce is usually spent inside a reefer container. The fruit, flowers or vegetables are still consuming oxygen and give off carbon dioxide. Open air exchange vents [AirEx] are not precisely engineered, and there is much variability in the amount of air that moves through the vents. There are also varied opinions around the globe regarding what is the best AirEx for different types of fresh produce. It makes sense to manage the air exchange with an engineering solution. The AirEx vent can be mechanized and the opening controlled according to the respiration rate of the product being carried. The result will be better quality produce after the shipping voyage”. Malcolm Dodd, principal consultant, Cold Chain Solutions AV+ va2012-05-30T15:37:36+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/MCI/IntegratedReeferNews1/IntegratedReeferNews/IntegratedReeferNewsJune2012/?Page=3http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/MCI/IntegratedReeferNews1/IntegratedReeferNews/IntegratedReeferNewsJune2012/?Page=3UASC owns and operates a fleet of 54 ships, including 9 x 13,500 TEU vessels that were delivered during the early part of 2012. “Linking the Middle East to the World” UASC achieves efficiency and savings by deploying Star Cool reefers with AV+ Providing chilled products to the Middle East is a growing trade, and the international shipping service provider UASC is ready to go for it. “Since 2008, there has been a steady investment in refrigerated containers as a result of our commitment to maintain a high-quality service with reliability and customer satisfaction. We want to ensure that UASC continues to expand its reach and deliver on its promises,” says Michael Callus, vice president of container operations at UASC. MCI’s Star Cool fits well into the business strategy The energy performance of UASC’s current Star Cool fleet yields energy savings of up to $1.7 million annually, compared with the industry standard. In addition, there are vast amounts of carbon emission reductions. “We have taken a considerable amount of Star Cool units in proportion to our total requirements as we realize the importance of energy efficiency. Reducing cost is one step to secure profitability, which is one of our missions,” Callus says. “As it happens, both the unit and the MCI box fit well with another of our missions to promote safety, security and environmental protection both at sea and ashore. “ The MCI Mark Q box has been built with Supotec® foam, which does not harm the atmosphere’s protective ozone layer. This means UASC can eventually dispose of its reefer containers legally, in accordance with European Union legislation. Now, AV+ takes UASC a step further UASC has fitted the majority of its Star Cool units with the CO2 controlled fresh-air ventilation system AV+. This system ensures correct ventilation based on continuous monitoring of CO2 levels in the container as the cargo respires. UASC also wants to offer shippers of perishable cargoes the benefit of this accurate ventilation. Currently, joint efforts are underway with UASC key offices, to find ways to get shippers to also include a maximum CO2 setting, along with the usual fixed “cubic meter/hour” fresh-air vent setting. “These energy savings and corresponding carbon emissions reductions are important outcomes of UASC’s progressive purchase strategy,” says Michael Callus. ■ United Arab Shipping Company, UASC was formed in 1976 by the Kingdom of Bahrain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, State of Kuwait, State of Qatar, Republic of Iraq and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The company is headquartered in Kuwait, with corporate offices in the UAE and has a vast liner service network covering most trades. By being a fast, secure, reliable and efficient shipping service provider, UASC strives to achieve its vision of “Linking the Middle East to the World”. ■2012-05-30T15:37:36+02:00http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/MCI/IntegratedReeferNews1/IntegratedReeferNews/IntegratedReeferNewsJune2012/?Page=4http://ipaper.ipapercms.dk/MCI/IntegratedReeferNews1/IntegratedReeferNews/IntegratedReeferNewsJune2012/?Page=4AV+ monitors respiration AV+ is the proper way to accurately control fresh-air ventilation in reefers. It manages fresh air intake by a pre-set maximum CO2 setting. The technology monitors natural respiration processes of fruit or vegetable cargoes and adjusts fresh air ventilation accordingly. 5 4 3 2 1 0 % CO2 Star Cool with AV+ Without AV+ Produce fact sheet University of California, Davis, has published a range of produce fact sheets, outlining the particulars for many fruits and vegetables, including their CO2 tolerance levels. http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/producefacts/ MCI has monitored the content of CO2 in two reefers with hot loaded bananas in the same shipment. One reefer was with fixed air ventilation and one reefer with automatic ventilation (AV+). The test shows that with AV+ you will get the required amount of CO2 in the reefer, which reduces ripening. With fixed air ventilation, the CO2 content will never rise and the respiration of the bananas will continue. ■ MCI reaches Star Cool number 100,000 Maersk Container Industry produces Star Cool reefer container no. 100,000 No. 50,000 Milestone reefer rolls off production line after almost exponential sales growth. In the spring of 2012, Maersk Container Industry produced Star Cool reefer number 100,000, reflecting both unabated demand for frozen and chilled foods and an acute need for energy savings in global transportation. Star Cool number 50,000 came off the production line for Hanjin Shipping just over a year ago. Now, number 100,000 enters into service with Maersk Line. “At the moment, Star Cool has the best combination of price, energy efficiency and maintenance. We are not at all surprised that Star Cool number 100,000 has been produced. Another 100,000 Number 100,000 was produced in the spring of 2012. No. 1 Integrated Reefer 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 “As a leasing company we are naturally very happy to see Star Cool number one hundred thousand produced, but moreover we are excited to register the growing number of container lines using Star Cool in their reefer fleet.” Danny Hallahan, senior vice president, marketing, CAI International will be just around the corner,” says Jan Esbech, global head of equipment at Maersk Line. “We know this is to a large degree attributable to the innovation and technological development that takes place at MCI,” Esbech adds. The leasing company CAI International is also happy. “CAI has during the last years successfully expanded its fleet of Star Cool units, and by now we are so confident in the product and the market acceptance, that we recently placed an order for 500 Integrated Star Cool units on speculation,” says Danny Hallahan, senior vice president, global marketing, CAI International. At Tinglev, Denmark, MCI continues its research and development. “We have more innovation on the way to make global trade evermore efficient. MCI’s controlled atmosphere (CA), for example, now lets customers increase transportation time for certain products without compromising quality,” says Soren Leth Johannsen, chief commercial officer at MCI. ■ This newsletter is published by: Maersk Container Industry AS. Bjerndrupvej 47, DK-6360 Tinglev. To subscribed or unsubscribe, change your address information, request additional copies or any other inquiries about the newsletter, please use the email below: ■ Service Providers/Distribution Centres ■ Purchasing spare parts ■ Request training sales@maerskbox.com · starcool@starcool.dk www.starcool.dk www.mcicontainers.com2012-05-30T15:37:36+02:00