Lufthansa Cargo starts use of high-tech refrigerated container

Lufthansa Cargo starts use of high-tech refrigerated container

   Lufthansa Cargo Friday will introduce a new type of temperature-controlled air cargo container at 26 pilot stations.

   Called “Unicooler,” the new container “was developed in close cooperation with the pharmaceutical industry,” the German airline said. It is specially designed for goods that require a constant temperature during transportation, such as vaccines, plasmas, proteins and biotechnological material.

   It is based on the principle of heat exchange. Six ventilators ensure that the air is in permanent circulation. The Unicooler is filled with dry ice and uses an electrical heating system powered by large, rechargeable batteries. This ensures that the right temperature is maintained even during extreme weather conditions in summer or winter, Lufthansa Cargo said.

   The new container weighs 444 kilograms and can be loaded with at most 1,144 kilograms of goods and dry ice.

   The German airline plans to phase in the container worldwide.