Sustainable reefer trade at Hamburg Süd

Martin Römer, Hamburg Süd’s Global Head of Sales & Marketing, makes it clear: the top 5 reefer carriers intend to stay in the reefer business. “We are strongly committed to the reefer trade and expect to continue to invest in it.” This does not mean that Hamburg Süd is turning a blind eye to the current state of the reefer business. Martin Römer: “We are facing a challenge: if we do not improve the sector’s profitability, at some point there will not be enough for all.” One way of giving a new boost could be an increased focus on soft services. “The customer needs better visibility of what exactly is going on during reefer transportation, and following this up we need to focus on the ability to handle exceptions, the power to take fast decisions.” 
Another of Hamburg Süd’s commitments is sustainability. Martin Römer: “For the reefer containers, we aim to reduce CO2 levels by 15 percent in 2015 compared to 2009 by investing in more efficient new containers and upgrading the existing fleet.” An ambitious target to reduce CO2 emissions by 26 percent in 2020 has been set for the overall business. To reach this target, a special tool has been developed in co-operation with Germanischer Lloyd. “We have started to install the Emission Manager on all ships since early 2013. Using this, we will be able to obtain a variety of data from our ships.” In addition to this, the new “Cap San” class vessels are built with smaller, more fuel-efficient main engines and a re-designed hull for lower fuel consumption and thus CO2 emissions.