Refrigerated Shipping
With climate change the top priority, green shipping is emerging as the key trend changer. Cutting energy costs and optimizing cargo quality using emerging technologies is paramount for shipping and the environment.
The refrigerated container market is projected to be the fastest growing segment of the maritime container market, with cold chain logistics increasingly important for shipping and ports.
Temperature controlled supply chains are an area of increasing concern due to the large energy footprint of these cold chains, estimations are that 35% of a container terminal’s energy consumption is used for refrigerated containers ‘reefers’ cooling.
Reefers are large fridges controlling the temperature of their cargoes enabling the distribution of temperature sensitive perishables and pharmaceuticals. Drawing on ships energy supplies, reefers contribute to atmospheric pollutants including nitrous oxides, sulfur oxides and particulate matter. The extensive use of Freon by reefers consumes large quantities of ozone contributing to GHG emissions.
Carbon dioxide emissions from refrigeration equipment and refrigerant leakage have been identified as having significant environmental impact. Refrigeration units use refrigerants of the hydrofluorocarbon group, these F-gases contribute to the greenhouse effect and global warming.
The shipping sector is under pressure to reduce CO2 emissions and become less reliant upon fossil fuels. New technologies in reefers will present benefits to shippers and terminals.
There is an immediate need for an energy efficient zero carbon reefer container that compliments the decarbonisation of shipping. Without carbon neutral refrigerated shipping containers harmful greenhouse gases will increase.
The use of thermoelectricity in refrigerated distribution emerges as a significant alternative for internal environmental control. Decarbonising cooling and heating with advances in insulation will help achieve environmental targets and the move towards zero carbon shipping.
Botanic Energy’s thermal reefer fabric is designed to address these problems. This innovative technology based upon thermodynamics, takes advantage of temperature differences between internal and external environments, providing an energy efficient alternative for environmentally conscious regulators and distributers.
The active thermal cladding forms the container’s external fabric, using heat pump technology to transfer heat, enabling a temperature profile to be set for the container’s interior and external fabric removing the need for refrigeration equipment.
Our technology will significantly reduce cargo energy demands on ships, both at sea and shore side and as stationary assets in port, with a net reduction in greenhouse gases, particularly to coastal communities.
Solid state thermodynamic systems are considerably lighter and less energy consuming than existing refrigeration systems that rely upon fossil fuels and refrigerants, providing further savings in manufacturing, maintenance and running costs.
Decarbonising transport refrigeration with advances in insulation will help achieve environmental targets for the maritime sector and the move to zero carbon distribution.
