In cooperation with leasing company Textainer, Maersk Container Industry (MCI) recently agreed to deliver 500 new Star Cool units to Dole Food Company in January 2021.
Dole’s focus on delivering high-quality fruit while reducing its carbon footprint globally factored into the choice of Star Cool, MCI said. As an original engineering feature, Star Cool units can control the speed of the reefer compressor to match the specific cooling demands of the cargo and therefore perform at the highest level of precision and energy efficiency.
“Dole is dedicated to supplying the market with the finest, high-quality products,” said Ana Anchia, regional equipment manager with Dole. “The delivery of these new Star Cool units will enhance our cold chain efficiency and allow us to deliver on our promise to our customers.”
Star Cool’s automatic ventilation system (AV+) allows the units to control fresh air intake by a preselected maximum level of CO2 inside the reefer. This unique and innovative fresh air control mode further reduces energy consumption and related carbon footprint. Regulating the amount of ambient air entering the container reduces the need to cool down warm air and reduces the risk of ingress of harmful external gasses. Upgrading to these units allows Dole greater control over its product during shipping.
AV+ was designed to maximize cargo freshness of delicate bananas and other fresh fruit, as vessels traverse the tropics while optimizing energy efficiency. On a warm day, it would be counterproductive to drive a car with the air conditioning on and the windows open. In layman’s terms, the logic behind AV+ is similar.
Dole is expected to pick up the new reefers with its own vessel newbuilding Dole Maya at Qingdao, China.
“Dole prioritizes quality and innovation in all aspects of their business,” said Anders Holm, MCI’s global head of sales and marketing. “These are also values important to MCI and we are very pleased about Dole confirming their trust in MCI by expanding their operated Star Cool fleet once again.”
