New reefer vessel design in the pipeline

A radically new reefer ship design is set to be unveiled at the Cool Logistics Global 2013 conference in September in Rotterdam, organisers said last week. Very little is known about the new concept other than that by combining a horizontal pallet handling system with lo-lo features for containerised deck cargo, record handling speeds are expected be achieved in ports. “While the focus in recent weeks has been very much on the launch of the Triple E Class Vessel by Maersk and speculation about the likely impact of the new P3 Alliance on the major East East-West trade routes, developments on the South-North route, which remains the backbone of the world’s perishable trades, have attracted far less attention,” said Rachael White, joint managing director of Cool Logistics Resources, organisers of the conference. In a statement Birger Lindberg Skov of Reefer Intel, designers of the new vessel, said the new ship would be able to compete on costs both with existing reefer carriers and the container lines, while the new design will also allow fruit companies to remain in control of their supply chain. The increased reliance of fruit supply chains on transhipment operations, multiplying the chance of handling errors and delays as reefer cargoes pass through multiple container ports, remains a source of considerable concern for shippers. “Speed and direct calls are the trump cards for conventional shipping to survive the relentless competition from the container lines,” said Alex von Stempel, MD at Cool Logistics Resources. It is believed that tender contracts for the new vessel have already been placed with a number of Chinese shipyards with an announcement of the successful bidder expected soon. INSERT The new ship will be able to compete on costs both with existing reefer carriers and the container lines.