Hapag-Lloyd orders 13,420 refrigerated containers

   Hapag-Lloyd said it has ordered 13,420 new refrigerated containers.
   Production of the 970 20-foot containers and 12,450 40-foot containers is scheduled to begin as early as this month, with delivery to of the first units in November, at the beginning of the harvest season for many Southern Hemisphere crops.
   Hapag-Lloyd said the containers will be used primarily to transport fruits and vegetables such as blueberries, cherries and avocados from Chile, Peru and elsewhere, but as well as fish and meat. The containers also are used for non-food products such as  pharmaceuticals and blood plasma.
   “With this new order, we will be expanding our transport capacities for our customers. They will now have at their disposal over 100,000 state-of-the-art refrigerated containers with a total capacity of 210,000 TEU, some of which will be equipped with the latest Controlled Atmosphere technology, which slows the ripening process during transport, thereby extending the shelf life of fruit and vegetables,” said Niklas Ohling, senior  director of container steering at Hapag-Lloyd.