Hanjin to Convert to Green Reefers
Hanjin Shipping said Tuesday it will start converting its fleet of refrigerated containers this month over to what it calls eco-friendly reefers. The South Korean container ship operator started using the containers at the end of May when it began receiving 1,000 units from MCI Qingdao, a Chinese manufacturer of refrigerated containers.
The Chinese manufacturer, known as MCIQ, began converting its production process to an environmentally friendly foam-blowing technology in May.
MCIQ substitutes SuPoTeC, or sustainable polyurethane technology, for the HCFC 141b urethane foam ordinarily injected between the inside and outside plates of reefers for insulation.
Hanjin said ordinary urethane foam produces approximately 23 tons of CO2 when exposed to the air during dismantlement while Supotec produces only 69 kilograms of CO2. It said MCIQ has shifted to using SuPoTec on all the reefers it makes.
Hanjin Shipping said it now will only order these reefers whenever it orders or leases new containers.
The company said it expects the containers can not only reduce environmental impact but also save costs as they are free from environmental regulations when they are scrapped after more than 10 years of use.
Hanjin said it will continue various other green management policies, including eco-steaming and using eco-friendly containers. The South Korean liner company recently developed a CO2 emission calculator on its website where its customers can calculate the amount of CO2 emission according to their cargo and destinations.
Source: Journal of Commerce
