Cold chain carrier at record scale

The latest commissioning by Cool Carriers offers nearly 905,000ft³ of refrigerated hold space, giving extra scale to serve a global network of dedicated, fast-transit and niche trades.

Marking the culmination of a newbuild series entrusted to Japanese shipbuilding contractor Shikoku Dockyard, the 180-metre Cool Elegance is a state-of-the-art embodiment of the classic, geared reefership concept, marrying flexibility in cargo range and cargo mix with a new peak in overall shipment size.

Following delivery in August, the vessel sailed from her cradle on the Seto Inland Sea for China, to subsequently engage in the trade routes connecting South Africa and Latin America with north European and Baltic ports, primarily to convey fresh fruit and seafood.

Cool Elegance is the fifth example of the E-class, which made its market debut with Shikoku’s 2018 handover the Cool Express, followed the next year by the Cool Explorer, and subsequently by Cool Eagle (2021) and Cool Emerald (March 2025). The entire programme of the Panama-flag E-series involves Japanese contractual and beneficial owners, with whom Cool Carriers has made long-term commitments.

The E design development project drew on experience with two preceding vessels from Shikoku’s Takamatsu yard, the 650,000ft³ sisters Cool Spirit and Baltic Spirit, commissioned into the Cool Carriers fleet during the early part of 2018.

Everllence powered

To achieve transits at up to 22 knots, and to ensure a power reserve in the event of schedule delays, the main engine choice rested on a ‘long-legged’ G60ME-C9 installation from the Everllence MAN portfolio. The seven-cylinder model is rated for an output of 18,760kW at 97rpm in the particular application and was supplied from the Tamano factory of Mitsui E&S. Exhaust gas cleaning technology is incorporated for SOx abatement.

The extent and combined potency of the diesel generator outfit, whereby five aggregates imbue an overall energy value of 9,620kVA, is illustrative of the considerable electrical load imposed in safeguarding the delivered condition of shipments of perishable cargoes at such scale.

The underdeck cargo section comprises five holds, subdivided into 18 individual compartments. The main body encompasses four holds each with four freight levels (tank top and three tweendecks), supplemented by a shallow No1 hold forward with two deck levels.

Free deck heights are a minimum 2.5m, thereby able to accept goods on so-called high-cube pallets. The spaces throughout are plumbed by four 40t electro-hydraulic cranes and have wooden gratings that can bear a 7t forklift axle load on pneumatic tyres. To maximise transportation and trading scope, temperature settings can range from minus 25degC to plus 15degC, receiving up to 90 air circulations per hour or two complete air renewals per hour.

Generally, each multi-compartment/multi-tweendeck hold is divided into two cooling sections. This enables different cargoes to be carried in each section, such as bananas at plus 13.3degC exactly and constantly, and apples at plus 1degC, for example.

The enormous breakbulk cargo potential is complemented by a certain provision for containers, although this is far-and-away the province of the upper deck area, be it on the main hatch covers or the weatherdeck itself.

The vessel has electrical sockets for a total 342 reefer containers, invariably 40ft units. In terms of dry boxes, there are total slots equating to 607TEU or 400FEU, potentially 8ft6in- and 9ft6in-high units, respectively, albeit with only a small number in the holds. The high fo’c’sle and unconventional bow design plus the adoption of lashing bridges afford greater protection to deck stacks when encountering heavy seas.

Conventional reeferships have long used available space on ballast or positioning voyages for car transportation, and this capability in the latest Cool Carriers entrant extends to some 800 vehicles.

Cool Carriers’ dominance of the reefership market

With a fleet of some 50 vessels, Cool Carriers is the world’s largest operator of specialised reeferships, and cargo care for delivered quality is an exacting imperative on players in the sector, and a factor which ultimately and fundamentally determines the competitiveness of the service provider.

The company’s ships are engaged in key fresh produce flows worldwide, including bananas, deciduous fruits, citrus, kiwifruit, seafood and frozen meat.

Cargo holds are equipped with control sensors which transmit information as to current temperature conditions within each compartment to onboard computers. The system allows the crew to constantly monitor the conditions of carriage and, if the indicators show a deviation from the set parameters, to quickly correct the situation.

Palletised perishable commodities loaded in reefer containers are also safeguarded by means of telematic equipment while GPS monitoring systems show exact box location continuously.

Beyond the E-series culminating in the Cool Elegance, Cool Carriers has further newbuilds in hand that champion the virtues of the specialised, dedicated reefer in the 660,000-700,000ft³ capacity band.

Read our profile of Cool Carriers here.

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