Reefer Ships Win Green Ribbon

Specialized reefer vessels may be losing the battle to gain market share to the world’s container fleet, but last month the sector won a battle of the green.

Emissions of greenhouse gases per pound of produce carried on container ships are 27 percent higher than those emitted if cargo is transported on refrigerated breakbulk vessels, according to a study by the Agribusiness and Economics Research Unit of Lincoln University in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The university has been examining the carbon footprints of a variety of products and services, including tourism. The research in New Zealand was spurred by a growing global focus on environmental issues, especially “food miles.”

The concept of food miles measures the distance food travels from producer to consumer. Some in the environmental community argue food that has traveled long distances is harmful to the environment because of increased transportation and fuel expenditures.

In the U.S., a growing number of consumers have hopped on the “eat local” movement, but only a handful of food outlets regularly display the number of miles an item has traveled. In Europe, many retail outlets routinely disclose that information. Because New Zealand is located so far from its key markets, its growers have been disproportionately affected.

Researchers at Lincoln University say the carbon footprint of a product or service involves much more than the distance to market; it also depends heavily on where food is grown or manufactured, how it is made and how it is transported.

In a study released last year, researchers said the carbon footprint of New Zealand dairy products delivered to European consumers was at least 30 percent smaller than for dairy items produced in the United Kingdom. Because New Zealand enjoys relatively mild winters and is without such carnivorous predators as wolves, farmers can keep cows (and sheep) in open pastures year-round, removing the need for heated barns.

Because the cows are grass-fed, New Zealand dairy products don’t include emissions from growing grain or transporting animal feed. The energy savings more than make up for the distance to Europe, researchers said.

The mode of transportation of a product to market is also important, according to the study, which looked at the emissions generated in fresh produce supply chains in shipments of kiwifruit. Virtually all fruit and vegetables grown in New Zealand are transported by ocean carriers rather than by air. But even on the water there are differences.

The study focused on shipping emissions and measured greenhouse gases on outward and return journeys, while accounting for different routes, ship utilization, and cargo volume and weight.
W
hen the emissions of port activities, refrigerant losses and the transport of fruit from orchard to port are included, greenhouse gases produced by container shipping are 36 percent higher than emissions by specialized reefer ships.

The main difference appears to be in the narrow focus of breakbulk service. “A specialized reefer service picks up its perishable cargo and heads directly for its destination port, with limited port calls only scheduled en route to add further cargo,” said Walter Wildoer, chairman of the 360 Quality Association, a group of specialized reefer shipping companies. “A container ship, meanwhile, makes far longer round trips, with frequent stops.”

One container executive, however, cautions that breakbulk’s environmental advantage might not last. “I would have to question the equipment and the averages they used in the study,” said Barbara Pratt, director of refrigerated services-technical operations at Maersk Line. “Using the averages of the industry several years ago, the findings may be valid, but the container industry has been working” on a variety of environmental projects. “We have new energy-saving software that has dramatically changed the way our reefers are operating. The software has only been in place for about a year, but we are seeing a 40 to 50 percent savings in energy, and the temperature of our cargo stays the same.”

Pratt said the software is relatively new, but not unique to Maersk. Other container lines are beginning to use it in their reefer business, she said.

Wildoer said the study could be used to ease environmental concerns. “The findings … have implications for anyone involved in the fresh produce business wanting to ensure their environmental impact is as small as is possible,” he said. “This includes exporters, importers and retailers — as well as end consumers, who are becoming increasingly hungry for information on the environmental impact of their purchases.”

Contact Stephanie Nall at stephnall@aol.com.