After a prolonged period of minuscule investment by the industry in fully refrigerated cargo vessels, Cool Carriers is pressing ahead with an extensive fleet modernisation and development programme based on advanced derivations of the classical reefership.
The strategy and commitment to a multiple newbuild plan vindicates the company’s success in providing fast, dedicated and direct services for temperature-controlled cargo using specialised, pallet-optimised vessels, despite the trade’s predominant shift to the containerised mode and the major deep-sea container lines.
Cool Carriers is looking to commission up to 11 new ships in various size categories over the next three years, including two at the very top of the capacity band in terms of breakbulk-orientated tonnage. A key feature of all vessels will be an underdeck configuration giving 2.5m deck heights, providing higher clearances than hitherto for palletised goods.
The two largest ships are under construction in Japan by Shikoku Dockyard and will be repeats of the 904,950ft3-capacity Cool Eagle, delivered into Cool Carriers’ employ from the shipbuilder’s Takamatsu yard in February 2021. Cool Eagle was the third of the E-class, having been preceded in 2018 and 2019 by the Cool Express (pictured) and Cool Explorer, which had put down a new marker in reefership scale and design evolution.
The E-class marries a multi-deck capability for transportation of goods at temperatures down to minus 30degC, in five holds embodying 18 compartments, with the increased versatility afforded by slots for up to 607TEU or 400FEU containers, including 342 reefer plugs. The ship also offers the possibility to carry about 800 cars, a traditional return cargo for reefers. Self-sufficiency in cargo working is ensured by five 40t deck cranes. Weatherdeck-borne containers are securely cradled within a lattice of lashing bridges.
As the fourth and fifth representatives of the E-type, the two newbuilds are scheduled to be handed over during the early part of 2025. Thereafter, up to the end of 2027, Cool Carriers is looking towards the addition of eight or nine more vessels in the 660,000-700,000ft3range. Although no details are as yet available, some at least of this further tonnage is understood to be on the books at Shikoku.
The contractual and beneficial owner of the Panamanian-flag E-class ships is Nissen Kaiun of Imabari, with Cool Carriers having made long-term commitments to the tonnage. Privately-owned Nissen’s business model is to order newbuilds of various types against long charter arrangements with established operators.
Cool Carriers is by far one of the world’s leading lights and largest operators of specialised reefers, with about 50 units currently under its control. The incoming ships will afford increased flexibility as well as capacity in carrying a wide range of goods, including bananas, citrus, kiwifruit, pineapples and vegetables, frozen meat and fish, and will meet new environmental criteria. One facet of the technical specification throughout is the nomination of an exhaust gas cleaning system, or scrubber. The company has had a new head office constructed in Limassol, Cyprus, to support the growing fleet.
Cool Carriers is a founding member of the 360 Quality Association, a body devoted to improving food safety and food quality in specialised reefer shipping, and ensuring that the set of voluntary standards encapsulated by the 360 Quality Code continue to evolve to meet market needs.
