Shipping company MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company will lease 2,000 containers chilled by Carrier Transicold's innovative, natural refrigerant-based NaturaLINE refrigeration system. The first of its kind, the NaturaLINE unit solves the problem of how to use refrigerants effectively and efficiently – to transport valuable items such as perishable food and pharmaceuticals – while helping to protect the environment.
The system utilizes repurposed carbon dioxide (CO2), the refrigerant with the lowest global warming potential (GWP) among all container refrigerants currently in use. MSC's new refrigerated containers – all 40-foot high-cube models – are being leased from SeaCube Containers LLC. Carrier Transicold is part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp.
"The NaturaLINE unit's innovative use of CO2 is the first of its kind available on the reefer market," said Giuseppe Prudente, chief logistics officer, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company. "By providing higher level of performance in the minus 40 degrees Celsius deep-frozen range, we can add new capabilities for our growing customer base, particularly for seafood and other high-value frozen commodities. Moreover, shipping is already one of the most environmentally sustainable forms of cargo transportation, and we are pleased to continue to improve our environmental performance by equipping our fleet with the latest green technologies."
The ability to achieve minus 40 Celsius was previously only attainable in container systems using a refrigerant with a GWP nearly 4,000 times higher. The NaturaLINE unit has managed this, along with high efficiency, a quiet operation and tight temperature control.
Carrier Transicold recognized the need for refrigeration technology that would neutralize concerns over GWP – in much the same way that it led the industry away from ozone-depleting refrigerants ahead of Montreal Protocol deadlines 25 years ago.
MSC will begin taking delivery of its new containers from SeaCube later in the year. The NaturaLINE units will be supported by Carrier Transicold's global service network.