Ocean Network Express（ONE）funded jointly by the three major shipping companies (Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Mitsui O.S.K, Lines and NYK Line) has implemented verification to transport by sea fruits and vegetables using a controlled atmosphere (CA) container capable to cope with two different temperature ranges, in collaboration with Pan Pacific International Holdings（PPIH） and also with global logistics company NAX Japan.

The CA container is a sort of reefer (refrigerating) container which preserves freshness of fruit and vegetables by means of controlling the internal concentration of oxygen.
Though ONE has experiences to handle CA containers over the world in the past, the transportation of cargo by containers provided with the function responsive to two temperature ranges for the first time in the world.

Recently Japan-made fresh produce has been getting popular in the Asian Area and also other overseas countries, and PPIH also focuses on selling them at their overseas shops. Therefore, there is an expanding need to deliver them maintaining freshness until arrival to the destination, but it depends on an appropriate temperature range and the composition of air for fruit and vegetables. In many cases containers may not be filled for separated uses for varied conditions. It has mattered in view of efficiency and also cost-wise.

Therefore, in this verification a 40ft container was divided into two parts front and rear. One part of container closer to the reefer unit was kept at a temperature between minus 30℃ and plus 30℃, while cool air is sent to the other part using a thermal fan attached to the ceiling to cover a temperature range from minus 5℃ to plus 30℃ enabling to cover two temperature ranges. Thus, the consolidated food and vegetables loaded under different appropriate conditions were transported for a distance of about 5,500km between Tokyo and Singapore.

The container is a type to send nitrogen actively and reduce the concentration of oxygen down to a level of 2%. The reefer unit is made by Daikin Industries. The say the two consecutive verifications under the same condition since the end of last year has proved to be successful to clear the target in the two important items of freshness maintaining function and cost reduction effect. They are planning on the third attempt of verification in a different route from now on.

For information, out of about 250,000 TEUs (number of converted to 20ft containers) of the reefer containers owned by ONE only 6,000 have a CA function. Most of them are of the passive type which does not supply nitrogen but control the atmosphere taking the advantage of plant inhalation. It means the active type remains at a minority position now.

Because the passive type is suitable for a long-distance transportation of massive loads like South American fruits for transportation to Japan, while the active type is suitable where the loaded volume is small or the distance is comparatively short like the Asian Area as well as the case that only the plant inhalation of fresh produce is inadequate. The reason is that at present the need for the former is superseding.

As aforementioned, however, the demand for Japan-made fresh produce is growing abroad. According to the staff of ONE’s Public Relation Dept. says, “We are planning to invest continuously to CA containers. As a new need is coming up remote monitoring of the inside of store unit, we plan to enhance our service, so that we can contribute to the promotion to export the well-evaluated fresh produce made in Japan.