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Issue 1 2017 - Freight Business Journal Keeping it all under control


With anything from frozen meat to fruit moving by sea these days, the reefer segment is bucking the trend in the otherwise struggling global container shipping market. Daikin Reefer director Katsuhiro Tetsuya explains how new controlled atmosphere technology is supporting this growth.


enabling the carriage of new cargoes. CA technology effectively puts


food and other sensitive perishable products in transit to sleep. This slows down the ageing process and allows them to be transported in better condition for longer, extending their shelf life. Reefer containers allow


By 2020, global shipping consultancy Drewry predicts that seaborne reefer cargo will reach a staggering 120 million tonnes – an average increase of 2.5% every year for the rest of this decade. And, according to another consultant, Seabury, frozen pork, bananas, and citrus fruits are the fastest growing global commodities. Increasingly, however, the


portfolio of products suited to sea freight is broadening. Advances in reefer technology are attracting the attention of new customers, lured by the promise of a cheaper, more environmentally friendly shipping solution. Previously reliant upon air freight, shipments of high-value, sensitive fruit and vegetables, as well as pharmaceuticals and cut flowers are today possible by sea. Refrigerated containers can


preserve goods during the entire shipment cycle. With minimal handling, reefer


containers


maintain the same temperatures from the producer to consumer, guaranteeing extended product life.


This opportunity is extending


further with new advances in controlled


atmosphere (CA).


Although relatively new in the reefer industry, CA has a relatively long history in land applications and it is this technology that is


shipping lines to better compete for new cargoes while shippers benefit from the cost reduction achieved through transportation by sea rather than air. Also, as controlled atmosphere allows more products to be transported in the same container without loss of quality, freight costs can be lower. The Daikin Active Controlled


Atmosphere system, for example, is based on vacuum pressure swing adsorption (VPSA), an active


atmosphere separation


technology that can create the optimal controlled atmosphere very quickly. During transit, the


design was adapted from Daikin’s oxygen concentrator, which was developed for use in the medical industry. Conventional passive CA


relies on respiration or injecting separately produced


nitrogen


gas into the reefer container, so you need to wait for the cargo to respirate to adjust the level of oxygen. With Daikin’s Active CA, however, there is no need to wait - nitrogen rich gas is produced with built in equipment and supplied into the reefer container to reduce oxygen density. The time taken to achieve


the CA set point depends on the produce being transported and its respiration rate. When transporting avocados, for example, active CA achieves the CA set point in half of the time of conventional passive CA, meaning that it is now also viable for shorter voyages, such as intra-Asia and other regional trades. With active CA, it is now possible


for example, are still fresh aſter 30 days. For shippers, perishability and


shelf life are critical. This is why the trend towards controlled atmosphere, as well as precise temperature control, will continue, along with the move towards active rather than passive CA. What remains all-important,


however, is reliability – especially in challenging economic times. If the reefer container isn’t functioning in some way, then the cargo will almost certainly be damaged, and maybe the customer’s reputation. Increased reliability of the refrigeration system on reefer containers will continue to improve even further. This will be supported by real-time tracking of the position and temperature of reefer containers around the globe, increasing traceability, optimising maintenance, and preventing breakdowns. By fitting containers, equipment,


and cargo with automated locating and sensing technology, real- time visibility can be improved to achieve greater control over complex container supply chain operations. This enables timely action to


CA system continuously controls the air composition inside the container. The technology uses a combination of cargo respiration and automatic ventilation control; maintaining the container’s carbon dioxide level while making the unit simple and economical to run. The


Brexit briefings at Multimodal


This year’s Multimodal show and conference on 4-6 April in Birmingham will include a series of briefings on Brexit. They will be led by experts from


companies including Eurotunnel, Oracle, KPIT and Agency Sector Management. The sessions are part of a series


of seminars and workshops giving insight into how to run a


slicker supply chain at the UK and Ireland’s leading logistics show, which last year attracted over 9000 supply chain decision makers. The sessions will look at


emerging trends, as well as the impact of new regulations, and include workshops on improving air cargo quality, mega vessels and alliances, inland waterways, and


to transport sensitive leafy green vegetables and fresh fruits, which are generally considered difficult to transport under passive CA, due to their low respiration rates. The ripening process is slowed right down, ensuring fresh produce such as spinach and strawberries,


rail freight. “Multimodal takes place just


weeks aſter Article 50 is invoked, triggering developments which will have a huge impact on all sectors of our industry,” said Robert Jervis, logistics portfolio director for show organiser, Clarion Events. Multimodal has once more


teamed up with the Freight Transport Association, the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and the United Kingdom


reduce cargo damage, and cost savings from the reduction of claims against the carrier, which will in turn reduce insurance premiums. Ultimately, however, people


will remain central to upholding the highest levels of reliability and it is their skills, married with technological advancements in reefer technology that will drive the continued evolution of the market.


Warehousing Association to put together the educational programme. Speakers from companies


including Heathrow Cargo, DB Schenker, and Transport for London are amongst the experts leading the debate. The third Freight Transport Association Multimodal Awards will also take place during the event, with over 600 VIPs expected to attend a gala dinner on 4 April at the VOX.


News Roundup


///NEWS


The first ever border crossing to use electronic consignment notes between Spain and France has taken place, says the International Road Transport Union (IRU). The e-CMR version of the traditionally paper based CMR consignment note will allow transport operators to input electronically, store logistics information and exchange data, in real time. France acceded to the e-CMR protocol in December, joining Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain and Switzerland.


Road & Rail


The International Road Transport Union said on 25 November that independent audit firm Ernst & Young had dismissed allegations made against current IRU management by a former employee last April. The allegations related to IRU’s TIR insurance scheme, dating back to 1995, and the financial model used to calculate IRU’s reserves.


The IRU has called for fast Green Lanes for accredited EU Authorised Economic Operators (AEOs) at EU external borders. The call was made at an EU AEO programme workshop in Senec, Slovakia, organised by the Taxation and Customs Union Directorate General. IRU said the lanes would be particularly beneficial for smaller businesses and would also guarantee that transport operators derive enough benefit through participation in AEO to outweigh the administrative burden of applying for and maintaining AEO status.


The Gotthard Base Tunnel linking in Switzerland is now fully operational, aſter the completion of tests, and following its official opening in June. Not only will it cut journey times for freight trains between the north and south of the country, but it will also speed up services on a key trans-European route between Italy and northern Europe. Ultimately, the route could be used by 260 trains a day, dependent on opening of two other base tunnels, the Ceneri and the Lötschberg - expected in about 2020 - to complete New Rail Link through the Alps.


The Freight Transport Association has presented transport charity Transaid with a cheque for £70,000 - the funds raised by its members over the past three years through the annual membership renewal scheme. In total the FTA scheme has raised £211,300 for Transaid since it started at the end of 2009, giving members the option to make a donation along with their annual FTA membership fees. The presentation was made by FTA deputy chief executive James Hookham to Transaid chair, Jo Godsmark at the FTA Transport Manager conference in Coventry.


Freight Transport Association Ireland has appointed Aidan Flynn as its new general manager. It follows the departure in September of Neil McDonnell, who had been with organisation for three years. Before joining FTAI, Mr Flynn held a number of senior leadership positions within the transport and logistics sector in Ireland. These included the establishment of a dedicated commercial fleet training business, health and safety and risk management consultancy and road safety initiatives.


Eurotunnel’s Le Shuttle Freight carried 1,483,741 trucks between 1 January and 25 November, the same number as in the whole of 2015, which was itself a record breaking year. In the first ten months of 2016, Le Shuttle Freight grew by more than 12%, largely outperforming the market, which only increased by 5%.


Work on a UK-financed €2.7m, 4-metre high wall around the port of Calais was completed in December, but it was no cause for celebration, said chair of the All Party Group on Freight Transport, Rob Flello. The Stoke-on-Trent South MP said the problem of illegal migrants trying to steal on board UK-bound trucks, and intimidation of drivers, could only be solved by “boots on the ground, police or military, to protect them in the short term.


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