As we go to press we have exciting developments to discuss – notably our participation at the Intermodal South America show in São Paulo, where we’ll feature our SeaCare™ suite of aftermarket programs and services, as well as the upcoming deployment of our NaturaLINE™ natural refrigerant trial units.
But to start there would be to ignore the “whale in the pond,” which is the current state of global fuel prices. Since the beginning of 2011, bunker fuel prices have surged about 25 percent and are still climbing.
Helping to lessen the impact fuel prices have on their businesses, forward-looking shipping lines have already charted courses toward greater efficiencies. Whether for fuel conservation, cost-containment or emissions reduction, they’re adjusting their operations, adopting more efficient ship designs and using more efficient equipment.
Count Carrier’s PrimeLINE® unit among the latter solutions. It continues to lead the field in terms of energy efficiency and once again outsold all competitive models in 2010. Featured in this issue, Chiquita and Crowley Maritime offer two examples of customers attracted to the PrimeLINE unit’s energy efficiencies.
Delivering energy efficiency while also avoiding the use of refrigerants with high global warming potential is the “gold standard” offered by the NaturaLINE natural refrigerant technology we introduced at Intermodal Europe 2010. The announcement generated much buzz among show attendees and the container industry trade media. So it’s with eager anticipation that our first NaturaLINE units are being readied for their trial voyages. We look forward to reporting on their progress as they embark in the months ahead.
Kartik Kumar
Director of Marketing and Strategic Planning
Global Container Refrigeration