Reefer lessors lose ground

Hapag-Lloyd, which is leading the liner shipping industry when it comes to fitting smart devices to its dry freight containers, is pressing ahead with its installation programme. It expects the whole of its 1.6M TEU owned fleet to be smart early in 2024. Already more than 80% of its reefer containers are fitted with devices that in addition to tracking the container’s position, monitor temperature and humidity levels inside the equipment.

A sharp fall in orders for new containers has taken its toll on container manufacturers with H1 2023 revenues and profits at China International Marine Containers (CIMC), Dong Fang International Containers (DFIC) and Singamas well down on the corresponding period of 2022.

There is no doubt that advances in technology, particularly in the development of controlled atmosphere (CA) systems has contributed to the growth in the reefer container shipping industry, and this is set to continue.

MSC, which accounted for more than 1.8M TEU of reefer container shipments in 2019, is adding more than 5,000 Star Cool units with controlled atmosphere (CA) technology for fruit and vegetables shipments to its fleet

Through Seacube Containers, MSC is leasing 5,000 new reefers with Carrier Transicold’s PrimeLINE machinery and its XtendFRESH controlled atmosphere system.

Bloomberg has reported that HNA Group is preparing to sell container leasing company Seaco for “about $1 billion”.