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Tag: shipping containers

Shipping Containers Entering new AI Marketplace

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Net Feasa, specialists in supply chain digitalization, today announced the launch of Agentic Control Tower™, an end-to-end visualization and booking platform that wraps traditional shipping container workflows in Agentic AI. Agentic Control Tower™ transforms the container into an AI Agent that can initiate auctions among prospective customers seeking cargo slots on vessels via a new revenue-generating marketplace.

The AI-enabled container can self-manage, negotiate and secure optimal bids, delivering maximum efficiency and value to shipping companies. The platform, knowing the container’s current location, schedule and destination, will select the best option available for its next job while still in transit, in a paradigm shift for supply chain efficiency.

The now connected container, enabled by the Net Feasa IoTPASS™ edge device, uses new and existing data points from across the supply chain and applies Reflective Agentic AI to the workflows of intermodal logistics, unlocking the power of AI. The result is an innovative platform with dynamic booking capability, route optimization and precision delivery, all of which improves over time as the system steps back, learns and adapts.

Net Feasa’s Founder & Chairman, Mike Fitzgerald, commented on the announcement, “Through the introduction of superior visibility and optimization within the intermodal supply chain, we have reduced the cost of monitoring Refrigerated Containers, optimized the number of Dry Containers needed and introduced security as standard. The introduction of Agentic AI, however, is a step change in workflow efficiency. In one example we have reduced the carbon footprint in drayage by 50% and the cost to the shipper by 25%. At scale, this translates to less trucks on the road, less traffic congestion and further reductions in the number of containers required.”

Net Feasa’s Agentic Control Tower™ is built on decades of expertise pioneering vessel connectivity and IoT-enabled asset visibility. Reflective Agentic AI can analyze its own actions, critically evaluate what it is doing and refine its approach. This self-reflection of container moves, iterative improvements and ability to process huge silos of data ensures that the performance of supply chain operations is continuously improving over time. Agentic Control Tower™ brings with it a disruptive new business model for the intermodal industry, with an opportunity for shipping companies to access additional revenue streams and market share.

The announcement coincides with the SelectUSA Investment Summit taking place May 11th – 14th in Maryland, facilitating business investment by connecting thousands of investors, companies, economic development organizations (EDOs), and industry experts. The US is a key strategic market for Net Feasa. The company is committed to expanding with its partners globally and now has a presence in three continents to support close, collaborative relationships. Ian Walter, CEO will attend the event.

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Freight Marketplace Capabilities Expanded

 

Container Shipping ‘Maxed Out’ Claims Analyst

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Jan Tiedemann (pictured), Head Analyst at Alphaliner, says for the first time in history the latest fleet additions are replacement vessels rather than designed to boost global capacity and increase the penetration of containerisation.

With record deliveries of container ships expected this year and next, most analysts have predicted further heavy downside pressure on container shipping freight rates to be offset by carrier efforts to reduce capacity by slow steaming and layups or, alternatively, by a self-destructive scramble for market share. However, Tiedemann believes a very different picture might play out in the coming years as a deluge of new vessels enter service.

“The thing that makes me at least a bit hopeful is that, for the first time, maybe in history, or in the history of container shipping, we’re coming towards a point where some of the orderbook might not be for growth, but actually for replacement,” he told the latest episode of The Freight Buyers’ Club podcast, produced with the support of Dimerco Express Group.

Alphaliner forecasts that a record 385 vessels totalling 2.22m TEU capacity will be delivered this year. This new high mark for box ship deliveries will then be immediately broken in 2024 when a further 391 ships of almost 3m TEU capacity is forecast to enter service, including 113 ships of over 12,500 TEU capacity.

Tiedemann notes that global fleet capacity is now around 26m TEU, up from six million TEU just 20 years ago. “For the last 20 years the global container fleet has grown by roughly 1 million TEU every year,” a rate he believes is unsustainable in the coming years given the previous success of containerisation penetration and the lack of new markets to target.

He argues that for the first time many new deliveries have been purchased primarily as replacements for older, less safe, less clean and less efficient ships rather than to enable the expansion of containerisation. Instead, he predicts rising vessel scrapping in the coming years, including of ships as young as 15 years.

Slowing growth

“There will still be growth in the market, but to some degree, growth in container shipping is maxed out because there’s no more geographies to expand into,” he said. “There’s not much more slow steaming you can implement because you’re already slow steaming. There are no more commodities you can really expand container shipping into because everything is already containerized with very, very few exceptions.

“So, we will see maybe for the first time on a big scale – on a global scale – in the next five to 10 years, a fleet renewal and vessel replacement scheme which means that a [lot] of tonnage will have to go to scrap. And that could concern ships – depending on how the economy and how the trade fares – which are maybe barely even 15 or 20 years old at some point.”

If lines do not start accelerating the scrapping of vessels, they will very soon have few deployment options left open, he adds. “There are so many ships ordered that the answer to the question, ‘Where are they all going to go?’ needs to be, ‘Everywhere.’ “Every trade will have to absorb these ships.”

Port of Felixstowe tops 100 million TEU

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Port of Felixstowe has passed the 100 million TEU mark since it handled its first container in the 1960s.

The 100th million TEU was loaded at Berth 8, the port’s newest facility and one of four berths at the UK’S largest container port capable of handling the world’s largest container ships.

Commenting at a ceremony to mark the occasion, UK Maritime Minister Robert Courts MP said: “The tens of thousands of maritime workers who keep our critical goods and supplies moving are the backbone of our freight sector, and kept this country’s supplies moving throughout the pandemic.

“Congratulations to the Port of Felixstowe on the 100 millionth TEU being loaded, which is a landmark moment for the UK’s busiest container port.”

Chris Lewis, Chief Executive Officer at the Port of Felixstowe, said: “The Port of Felixstowe has been setting the benchmark for UK container ports since we handled the first Sealand containers in what was then the Dock Basin in 1966. We followed that with the first operational container terminal the following year and have been leading the way ever since.”

Clemence Cheng, Managing Director, Hutchison Ports Europe, added: “Looking to the future we are committed to continual investment, upgrading existing facilities, building new infrastructure and constantly improving systems, equipment and the way we work to deliver the level of service our customers require.

“As the number of ultra-large container ships increases we are continuing to invest in the facilities they require. Berth 7 has been deepened to 16.5m and next year we will increase Berth 6 to the same depth and future-proof Berths 8&9 by increasing them to 18m, further enhancing our ability to work the largest container ships afloat.

“At the same time we will be driving forward our agenda to ensure we do this whilst cutting our environmental impact and working towards net-zero emissions.”

The work to deepen berths complements work being undertaken by Harwich Haven Authority to deepen the port’s main navigation channel from 14.5m to 16.0m. The additional depth in the harbour and seaward approaches will provide unrivalled deep-water access for the growing numbers of super-sized vessels that serve UK trade.

Return Container Booking App Launched

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Cargo stream – the first of its kind container booking app in Europe – has officially gone live. Built by Cargo stream, an international company developing solutions to manage the whole logistics chain in one place and making empty container logistics in Europe more efficient, the app is set to become a go-to tool for cargo forwarders and carriers. It enables users to book their shipping container faster and easier across the globe.

“This functionality was highly requested by various shipping lines. More and more companies are moving their operations online, accessing important data via computer or smartphone screens, and we see this trend as an extraordinary opportunity for the logistics sector. Technology enables immediacy, ubiquity, in our case, while booking containers or managing logistics processes. Our decision to launch an app was inspired by the number of functionalities requests we received from our partnering shipping lines. We are creating value for our customers by launching the first app of its kind in Europe,” said Anthony Poullain, member of the board at Cargo stream.

Currently, available solutions in the market are limited to desktop applications, enabling only several actions, which forces companies to stick to managing most of the procedures by phone calls or emails. “We want to be at the forefront of technological implementation in an otherwise stagnant industry. It is difficult to develop a solution from the shipping line side because other shipping lines will not join the internal system. Cargo stream is an independent, reliable and objective solution provider that connects different parties in the whole logistic chain,” said Stéphane Gouvart, an associate of the CMA CGM Group.

The Cargo stream app allows users to make container bookings and offers or announce that they are searching for a specific container. It facilitates a full exchange between cargo senders, forwarders and carriers and provides a single portal to manage the entire container communication with shipping lines in real-time. Additionally, users can use the container location tool that helps find empty containers near their location. From there, users quickly book the containers and begin the cargo journey.

The app also provides value for customers in the following ways: request changes in drop-off and pick-up locations, check empty container status and whether it can be re-used for export customers, as well as manage cross-border open equipment opportunities in real-time. With these features, app users can optimise trucks’ planning, avoid congested areas and disputes with other carriers, and centralise all lines on one platform.

“Using such technology, logistics professionals can save time and money by reducing the number of empty runs. When facing a global containers’ shortage, speed and concrete communication are key to be first in line and secure the containers. We have started booking containers through Cargo stream with MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company),” said Igoris Uba, CEO of Limarko Maritime Agency.

Previously, both parties lacked the information they needed to improve their business efficiency: since forwarders had to ask hundreds of carriers if they have a container or vice versa, carriers had to inquire whether forwarders need empty containers for their shippers. The economic value here is immense, as it was never that easy to match empty containers with cargo shippers. Moreover, Cargo stream is not a marketplace, but a modern hub for re-using containers for export.

Cargo stream business model is straightforward: it comes with no license fees, subscription requirements, and upfront commitments. The app only takes a fixed rate when business transactions have performed. It is expected that Cargo stream will increase the speed of finding suitable parties for transportation circumstances, expediting service requirements for all parties involved. As existing app users have already claimed, the app is the fastest and easiest way to book a container in the European market.

Vaccine Logistics System with storage in container design

Posted on by David Priestman

Once an effective COVID19 vaccine is available in the required quantities and is to be delivered to the vaccination centres, a specific logistical task also needs to be addressed: Some vaccines must be transported at a temperature of at least -70C to -80C and stored on site at the vaccination centre. L&R Kältetechnik has developed a safe, flexible and economical concept for this demanding type of deep-freeze storage: a deep-freeze storage system that is installed in an industrial container.

L&R has extensive experience with the deep-freeze storage of sensitive pharmaceutical active ingredients and products. Vaccine serums, blood plasma, stem cells, bone marrow and biomedical materials are among the stored goods that are kept in the walk-in L&R deep-freeze storages at temperatures down to -110°C. Such storage is in use at many pharmaceutical manufacturers – among other reasons also because they are more reliable, efficient and energy-saving than laboratory freezers.

Based on this experience, L&R has now developed a solution with which millions of vaccine doses can be stored at -80C. The basic idea: a storage cell (pictured) -80°C, with a pre-cooling room at -20°C, is installed in an industrial container with corresponding redundant, multi-stage refrigeration technology in order to guarantee a storage option that is suitable for pharmaceuticals.

Two highly efficient refrigeration systems are installed in 20′ or 40′ containers, each of which ensures a permanent temperature level below -70C. The systems are air-cooled, so only one mains connection is required for operation. They have a redundant design so that if one refrigerating circuit fails, the second circuit can automatically take over the cooling. An optional emergency power supply or nitrogen emergency cooling offers an even higher level of safety.

The interior equipment of the cryogenic storage is adapted to user requirements. Pallet storage spaces are possible as well as shelves and/or drawers for different product sizes. Optionally, the interior can be manufactured with a stainless steel floor according to cleanroom standards. The highly effective insulation ensures a low heat transfer coefficient. This increases the temperature holding time and reduces the energy requirement. The deep-freeze containers are optionally supplied with FDA approval for materials in contact with the product. Via the touch panel of the Siemens PLC, the user can control the system comfortably, and visualize the process. Remote maintenance is possible as well as GPS positioning of the container.

In the construction of this deep-freeze storage system, attention was not only paid to maximum safety and high energy efficiency: the worldwide availability of the components also played a role. Burkhard Rüßmann, general manager of L&R Kältetechnik, told us: “When the vaccine production starts, the logistics must be available all the way up to the vaccination centres – not only in Germany. That’s why we have made sure that our production is scalable over a wide range.”

The container design is the basis for the high-quality systems to be set up with very little effort exactly where the vaccination is carried out. And it offers another advantage: Over the rest of their lifetime, the mobile deep-freeze stores can afterwards be used at other locations and for other tasks.

Deep-freeze Transport and Storage for COVID-19-Vaccine

Posted on by David Priestman

Germany’s MECOTEC Group has launched a complete–one-stop solution for the deep-freeze, transport, storage and distribution for COVID-19-Vaccines with its first Mobile Hybrid Container. The company claims it is the first hybrid container solution for ultra-cold transport and storage for vaccines.

  • – Transport and storage of up to 1,000,000 vaccination doses in one standard size container at temperatures down to -80°C / -112 °F possible
    – Active deep cooling technology ensures safe and controlled transport and storage without dry ice

Vaccine manufacturers, transport and storage providers are facing major challenges in the fight against the coronavirus, as many of these vaccines only retain their effectiveness at temperatures down to – 80°C / -112 °F according to the current state of science. In addition, very few medical facilities have space to store the vaccine in large quantities at constant minimum temperatures.

The MECOTEC from Germany has now launched a complete-one-stop-solution consisting of:
1. Deep-freeze cooling + 2. Transport + 3. Storage & distribution: Immediately after production, the vaccine is frozen on site in a kind of deep cold storage. The vaccines can then be loaded into a container and safely transported to the distribution station at constant minimum temperatures down to – 80°C/-112°F. On site at the distribution station, the transport container then functions as a storage and distribution center.

MECOTEC has already developed a mobile cold store solution as prototype, an industrial solution with which the vaccine can be frozen directly at the manufacturer’s facility. For this purpose, the cold store system is located near production, the machine container is set up outside the production building. Immediately after production, the vaccine is deeply frozen in the cold store. This cold store solution can be set up anywhere where the vaccine is available for deep cooling.

“The project knowledge that we have gained with the development of the prototype as well as our many years of experience in the field of cooling technology made it possible within a very short time to adapt this deep-freeze facility into a transport, storage and distribution container,“ explains Jan Hüneburg, Managing Director at COOLANT, the industrial division of MECOTEC.

“We are pleased that today we can present our Mobile Hybrid Container Solution for the transport and storage of Covid-19-Vaccines and thus make a contribution to a safe and fast supply of the vaccine for people worldwide,“ says the Managing Director of the MECOTEC Group, Enrico Klauer. “Since our system is based on an active deep freezing technology, it does not require dry ice for cooling which makes it also suitable for safe international air transport.”

The process for transport and storage of the COVID-19-Vaccines at constant minimum temperatures down to – 80°C/-112°F is as follows:
The Vaccine Veils are loaded into the mobile refrigerated container in transport packaging and insulation boxes and then transported to the distribution (vaccination) center while maintaining the deep-freezing temperatures down – 80°C / -112 °F. At the distribution center the veils can be taken out individually. The whole process, including the location and the temperature within the container can be monitored centrally.

The complete solution developed by the MECOTEC Group can be used worldwide. “It is our aim to get the vaccine to the people as soon as possible. Therefore we offer several options: Orders for container production can be placed at MECOTEC directly and at our worldwide sales offices. In addition we also offer licensed production,” says Klauer.

1000 Refrigeration Units Added to Ship Sensitive Cargo

Posted on by Keith McKinley

ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. is expanding its refrigerated units shipping capabilities with 1,000 new containers equipped with Carrier Transicold’s PrimeLINE® refrigeration unit. Carrier Transicold is a part of Carrier Global Corporation, a leading global provider of healthy, safe and sustainable building and cold chain solutions.

The new, 40-foot high-cube containers will help the Haifa, Israel-based shipping line accommodate growth and solidify its commitment to having ample refrigerated resources to support its customers during these challenging times. Many of the new containers will ship highly temperature-sensitive perishable cargoes and high-value pharmaceutical products.

“With thousands of PrimeLINE units already in service to our fleet over many years, the refrigeration system has proven itself to be a highly capable performer,” said Moti Azari, reefer trade manager, ZIM. “The unit’s excellent refrigeration capabilities, energy efficiency and record of reliability, backed by Carrier Transicold’s responsive field support team, are all vitally important to our fleet operations, especially so, during these unprecedented times amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.”

The PrimeLINE unit offers rapid temperature pull-down, tight temperature control, high energy efficiency and high air-flow performance, which are integral to the transportation of high-value cargoes, especially pharmaceutical products. Its efficiency is attributed primarily to an advanced digital scroll compressor that reduces power draw, which also results in reduced carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent emissions. Carrier helps customers meet the rapidly evolving supply chain demands to make their cold chain activities more efficient through the Healthy, Safe, Sustainable Cold Chain Program.

“We appreciate the opportunity to continue supporting ZIM with our PrimeLINE units, which have been the industry sales leader for more than a decade with best-in-class refrigeration performance,” said Kay Henze, international key account manager, Global Container Refrigeration, Carrier Transicold.

More container news here

 

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