DFDS Logistics Switches to CO₂ Containers for Coastal Shipping Service

DFDS Logistics Ltd., a logistics and freight shipping company headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, announced on October 15 that it had purchased 50 of Carrier Transicold's NaturaLINE CO₂ refrigerated shipping containers to use in its short-sea (coastal) shipping service, according to a press release.

In the maritime shipping industry, regulatory risk mitigation and sustainability are continuing to drive adoption of CO₂ cooled refrigerated shipping containers. “The NaturaLINE units help reduce our environmental impact compared to other container refrigeration systems,” said Jack Hodgson, Fleet Manager, DFDS Logistics.

In addition to being in line with sustainability initiatives, the CO₂ shipping containers are helping shipping companies mitigate future business risks related to environmental regulations and technology phase outs. According to the statement issued, DFDS has emblazoned each of its new 45-foot containers with the slogan 'Naturally Chilled: No synthetic refrigerants – kinder to the environment'.

“As more shipping fleets are discovering, the NaturaLINE unit’s use of a natural refrigerant can also help to guard against regulations, environmental taxes and phase outs that other refrigerants may be subject to during the operational life span of units purchased today," said Flemming Kuhl, Sales Director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Carrier Global Container Refrigeration.

The same factors have influenced a number of other shipping companies to adopt CO₂ cooled refrigerated containers in the past few years. "In taking leadership to provide a natural-refrigerant solution, Carrier Transicold created what is perhaps the most sound investment a leasing company and shipping line can make – a refrigerated container that will not become obsolete in its lifetime due to pressures from environmental legislation," said Robert Sappio, CEO, SeaCube Containers LLC.

SeaCube, a U.S.-based company that owns and manages dry and refrigerated shipping containers, announced in August last year that it would be leasing 2,000 of Carrier Transicold's NaturaLINE CO₂ refrigerated shipping containers to the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), a global transportation and logistics company based in Geneva, Switzerland.

The DFDS announcement follows several other recent ones made by shipping companies stating that they would be using Carrier Transicold's CO₂ refrigerated shipping containers. In June of this year, U.S.-based shipping company TOTE announced that it would be placing 220 NaturaLINE CO₂ refrigerated shipping containers into service on U.S. domestic trade routes. In September of 2017, another of the world's largest shipping container shipping companies, Maersk Line, announced it was testing 100 of Carrier Transicold's NaturaLINE CO₂ shipping containers.