SeaCube Supporting Decarbonization
Container and equipment leasing special- ist SeaCube is preparing to support its equipment operator customers as they work towards decarbonisation.
In recent years, the company has been an active supporter and adopter of new technology that supports environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals and decarbonisation. SeaCube was the first container leasing company to incorporate reefer containers with a natural refriger- ant – Carrier’s NaturaLINE with CO2 – into its fleet. It also offers telematics for remote reefer monitoring and asset man- agement through a strategic platform en- gagement with Carrier’s Lynx platform.
In an interview with WorldCargo News, Gregory Tuthill, chief commercial officer, said that as a leasing company, SeaCube needs to align its investment strategy to support both near-term targets, such as achieving IMO emission reductions, and the longer-term decarbonisation goals of its customers.
While the journey will not be easy and the path to zero-emissions is not linear, Tuthill was clear that SeaCube has set its course on both supporting and driv- ing innovation. He said that SeaCube is aiming to be the first leasing company to support the industry with low/zero- emissions assets as they become available, and is working with equipment OEMs to help test new equipment and get it into service.
Tuthill said that telematics will play a leading role in helping the industry lower energy consumption and move towards sustainability targets. As well as moni- toring and protecting the cargo, remote reefer monitoring systems can measure energy consumption and other param- eters, such as leakage of refrigerants and maintenance requirements. In essence, telematics and technology will be the underpinning to decarbonisation metrics.
As SeaCube sees it, these data are cru- cial to helping reefer operators and cargo owners understand how energy is used across the refrigerated transport cold chain, and how that energy use can be optimised at the different stages along the way. Tuthill added that for cargo owners calculating the carbon footprint of their products and supply chains form part of the ‘audit trail’ they require.
That audit trail encompasses first and last mile transport, where over-the-road trucking and diesel gensets for reefer container transport are an integral part of the supply chain today. There are now a number of ‘zero-emissions’ reefer trailers on the market, some of which are offered by trailer leasing companies in the US. Zero-emissions genset options for reefer containers are not as far advanced at this point, but that is expected to change in the near future.
Tuthill said that SeaCube is looking into non-diesel options, which includes considering very carefully the range of potential battery equipment and what recharging infrastructure might be re- quired. As part of this process, data from reefer machinery are essential for understanding how and where elec- tric equipment might be viable. Tuthill was not able to provide specific details at this point, but he emphasised that zero-emissions last-mile power for reefer containers is not only an asset issue, but it also requires multiple parties in the supply chain to come together with an understanding of how energy-efficient assets can be deployed and managed for particular cargo types, as well as meet future IMO regulations associated with decarbonisation. For SeaCube, as a leas- ing company, there is some risk involved in pursuing new technology, but there is also strategic advantage in being able to offer zero-emissions products, which SeaCube is determined to capture.
Gregory Tuthill, Chief Commercial Officer of SeaCube