Hapag-Lloyd enhances fleet with 3,000 PrimeLINE units, including 1,000 equipped with XtendFRESH systems

Enhancing its capabilities for shipping perishable goods, global container shipping line Hapag-Lloyd recently added 3,000 PrimeLINE units to its fleet, with 1,000 of the refrigerated containers equipped with Carrier Transicold’s innovative XtendFRESH controlled-atmosphere system. Carrier Transicold is a part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp.
The XtendFRESH system actively manages oxygen and carbon dioxide levels within refrigerated containers and removes ethylene, thus slowing the ripening of produce and helping to preserve produce quality beyond what refrigeration alone can do. Hapag-Lloyd’s order is the largest for the XtendFRESH option since its introduction in 2013. The PrimeLINE units were installed on 40-foot high-cube containers Hapag-Lloyd purchased for fleet replacement and expansion.
“Now being deployed in support of the South America harvest season, the newly ordered containers improve our capabilities with sensitive fruits and vegetables by helping to assure optimal produce quality for our customers,” said Niklas Ohling, head of container steering, Hapag-Lloyd. “As shipping patterns change, bringing longer routes, our investment in controlled-atmosphere technology will provide dividends for our customers by maintaining quality for produce such as bananas and mangos over extended shipping times.”
The innovative XtendFRESH system allows shippers to maintain the precise levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide needed to optimise conditions for a specific commodity. In use, the 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 oxygen is consumed by the perishable cargo, on-demand fresh-air ventilation automatically maintains the optimum level inside the container. No other product integral to the container actively manages carbon dioxide and oxygen and removes ethylene.
The PrimeLINE refrigeration units on which Hapag-Lloyd’s XtendFRESH systems were installed are known for their energy efficiency. The PrimeLINE units use an advanced digital scroll compressor to deliver more cooling capacity using less energy than prior models from Carrier Transicold. The PrimeLINE units also provide pulldown that is up to 15 percent faster than its nearest competitor and as much as 30% faster than others.
Headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, and with a fleet of 175 modern container ships, Hapag-Lloyd is one of the leading operators in the Atlantic and Latin America trades and the world’s fourth largest container liner shipping company.