What is Reefer Container?

A refrigerated container or also known as reefer container are bulky-looking freezer that are normally used for transportation of temperature-sensitive goods like seafood, vegetable, meal and many more. The reefer container is equipped with a generator cool which will cools the content keep it at regulated temperature that is usually between – 35°C and +35°C. Additionally, reefer container can also increase cargo temperatures aside from maintaining the temperature of pre-cooled cargo. Thus, these containers can prevent products from spoiling too quickly that may happen due to the high temperature or insufficient airflow. Furthermore, this container can ensure the products inside have longer-shelf life due to the cool temperature. These containers can come in different sizes with varying technology. The most common sizes are 20Fft and 40f reefer container.

The Differences Between Freezer and Chiller

There are two types of reefer container which are freezer and chiller:

FEATURE	FREEZER	CHILLER
Functionality	Chills and freezes food. A freezer will keep food frozen over a prolonged period.	Keep food cool for later production.
How it works	Shift heat from objects and kept within an enclosed area (evaporation process).	Extracts heat from liquid using the vapor compression technique.
Temperature	0°F	34°F to 45°F
Examples of stored food	Meat, fish and ice cream	Milk, butter and cheese

The Reefer Container Market Growth Before and After Pandemic

It can be observed that the global reefer container market after 2019 has significantly decreased.  In 2019 which is the year before the COVID-19 pandemic starts, the size of the reefer container market was 3,169.2 thousand twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) and it is predicted to rise in 2020 until 2030. The major causes of the market growth are due to the high number of trade routes, the high demands for pharmaceutical drugs and the expansion of the e-commerce industries.

However, the reefer container market has been negatively impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The pandemic has caused thousands of businesses to shut down their door to follow the rules and regulations specified by the government. The regulations such as lockdowns have affected small and big businesses. Thus, it causes companies especially in the global transportation and logistics industry to face financial crises and other related issues. Therefore, it can be concluded that the reefer container market experienced a decreasing pattern after 2019.

Why Need to Use Reefer Container?

The modern technology has significantly improved the cold storage technology which the perishable goods such as vegetables, fruits and many more can be transported and delivered in their original state to the consumer. Reefer containers have bottom-air delivery units that is invented to distribute cold air underneath the cargo through a T-shaped decking. Thus, it allows the production of consistent air flow across the entire shipment properly. However, reefer container requires a constant supply of electricity that is supplied by portable generators or also known as ‘gensets’. Furthermore, this container has atmosphere control where it adjusted the composition of the air inside the container (CO2 and O2 levels) to increase the cargos’ storage life. Asides from that, due to the large size of the reefer container, it has high capacity to store more items. Image below show the ventilation inside the container:

Where to Use?

Reefer container can be used in many things such as:

• Frozen Food

Frozen food such as meats, chicken, or seafoods can be transported using reefer container as it will keep them from rotten due to microorganism.

• Fresh Product

The reefer container can deliver cargo such as vegetables and fruits safely because it will slow down the ripening process and maintain the freshness.

• Events

Large events such as festivals, parties, caterings and many more often need storage that is large enough to store all the products due to the large number of attendees. Therefore, a reefer container is very useful as it provides a lot of space for the products to be stored inside the container.

• Semiconductors

A semiconductor is a physical substance that are specifically to manage the flow of current in electronic devices such as computer, phone or laptop. It is known that the more powerful a semiconductor device, the higher its heat density. A reefer container has cooling system that can be used to cool the semiconductor dies from overheating.

• Aerospace

Due to the high occupant density, the cabin in the airbus needs to be cool. Thus, the reefer container has the ventilation system that will distribute and circulates air in the cabin.

Who Are the Suppliers of Reefer Container?

1. Company’s Name: DRAS Refrigeration

• Description:  DRAS Company provide complete solutions such as designing, consulting, installing, servicing and others to food services related market especially supermarket retailing industry and food processing industry.

• Logo:

• Website:  www.dras.com.my

2. Company’s Name: Ocean Network Express (ONE)

• Description: ONE emerged from the legacy of three leading Japanese liner companies, namely MOL, NYK and ‘K’ Line. These companies pride themselves on their service-oriented culture which is now embedded in ONE’s DNA. The integration allowed ONE to inherit the three liners’ strong market presence in major reefer markets such as North and South Americas, South Africa, Europe, the Mediterranean, Intra-Asia and Oceania.

• Logo:

• Website: my.one-line.com

3. Company’s Name: Redline Stone Sdn. Bhd.

• Description: Redline Stone Sdn. Bhd provide in trading of containers do not just restricted to used containers, but also brand new units as well. Other than servicing the clients in Malaysia, they also extending their services to their clients in Asia countries – Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan, Singapore, Dubai to name a few.

• Logo:

• Website: redlinestone.com

4. Company’s Name: CMA CGM

• Description: The CMA CGM Group is the second largest Reefer carrier in the world. Their fleet of refrigerated containers is one of the largest and youngest, keeping fresh, liquid, frozen and sensitive products in optimal conditions throughout their transport.

• Logo:

• Website: www.cma-cgm.com

5. Company’s Name: MAERSK

• Description: MAERKS have a Remote Container Management technology that was developed to help monitor the conditions inside the container, from pickup to delivery. Through this technology, refrigerated freight containers send a satellite message with updates on temperature, humidity, and CO2 levels to their Reefer Control Tower, the port of arrival, equipment management and repair vendors.

• Logo:

• Website: www.maersk.com