Cool Carriers has taken another step in its fleet renewal strategy with the delivery of MV Snow Flake, the second vessel in its next-generation Snow-class series, reinforcing the company's position as the world's largest operator of specialized refrigerated cargo vessels.
The vessel was officially named June 29 at Kitanihon Shipbuilding in Japan, just three months after the delivery of sister ship Snow Flower. The ceremony was attended by Cool Carriers CEO Mikhail Ganyushin, while Nikolay Pavlyuchenko, General Manager of Unireefer—Cool Carriers' general agent for Ecuador, Peru and Argentina — performed the traditional champagne-breaking ceremony.
Designed specifically for the global refrigerated cargo trade, the new Snow-class vessels combine increased cargo capacity with improved environmental performance. Depending on the vessel, cargo capacity ranges from more than 630,000 cubic feet to approximately 660,000 cubic feet. Each ship can transport up to 5,000 high-cube pallets of refrigerated cargo below deck while accommodating as many as 168 refrigerated containers, with a combined capacity of up to 14,000 pallets. The vessels maintain a service speed of 18 knots, enabling rapid movement of time-sensitive cargoes across global trade routes.
The ships also feature advanced hull forms, optimized propulsion systems and fuel-efficient engines designed to comply with increasingly stringent IMO and European environmental regulations through at least 2030, helping reduce emissions while improving operating efficiency.
"Snow Flake continues the modernization of our fleet through advanced ship design and engineering," said Glenn Selling, Chief Operating Officer of Cool Carriers. "These high-capacity vessels strengthen our position on key refrigerated trade routes while enabling us to meet our customers' growing requirements for efficient, reliable and sustainable transportation."
Snow Flake is the second of seven Snow-class vessels scheduled for delivery by 2028, with another vessel expected to join the fleet later this year. The ships will support Cool Carriers' global operations serving refrigerated cargo markets, including kiwifruit exports from New Zealand to Europe, bananas from Ecuador, fruit shipments from Chile, and growing produce exports from South Africa and Argentina.