New lessors join the fray

Hapag-Lloyd, which is leading the liner shipping industry when it comes to fitting smart devices to its dry freight containers, is pressing ahead with its installation programme. It expects the whole of its 1.6M TEU owned fleet to be smart early in 2024. Already more than 80% of its reefer containers are fitted with devices that in addition to tracking the container’s position, monitor temperature and humidity levels inside the equipment.

There is no doubt that advances in technology, particularly in the development of controlled atmosphere (CA) systems has contributed to the growth in the reefer container shipping industry, and this is set to continue.

Through Seacube Containers, MSC is leasing 5,000 new reefers with Carrier Transicold’s PrimeLINE machinery and its XtendFRESH controlled atmosphere system.

After several years of strong expansion, the reefer leasing industry grew more modestly in 2017, and new investment fell to its lowest level in almost decade.

Late last year, Carrier Transicold announced that Seaco had placed an order for 100 NaturaLINE CO2 reefer units, making it the first leasing company to order Carrier’s next generation reefer machinery.

CARU Containers has sold its stake in CS Leasing to Mass Capital.