With a new approach toward finding efficiencies in their global fresh produce and fresh-cut flower transport business, Maersk Container Industry (MCI) announced this week that they've formed a partnership with Boston-based technology company Primaira LLC, to develop an air cleaning system for use in their Star Cool Integrated refrigerated containers.
The new technology, called Bluezone, has proven to be an efficient eliminator of molds, fungi and bacteria in trials and tests. Using an ozone concentration 300 times higher than otherwise seen on the market, Bluezone also removes ethylene effectively.
"We are still working on the final design, but we are convinced that the Bluezone and Star Cool combination represents economic and environmental upsides so far unseen in container transportation," says Soren Leth Johannsen, chief commercial officer of MCI.
"The years of exacting, scientific work demonstrate the superiority of the Bluezone technology in ethylene and mold removal and value in extending the shelf life of fresh produce," says Karen Benedek, managing partner of Primaira LLC.
Bluezone also has modal shift potential, which opens up new markets like fresh-cut flowers, a market where more than 90 percent of the intercontinental shipments are by air.
"We are excited about the Bluezone and Star Cool product and its prospects. For example, just consider the economic and environmental upsides on potentially converting today's airfreight of fresh-cut flowers into reefer containers," says Leth Johannsen.
According to MCI, Bluezone in Star Cool will be available in second half of 2014. To read more, click HERE.
