Sea Star Line said it has increased its refrigerated container fleet by 25 percent in the past year to better serve the Puerto Rico trade.
The company said it’s in the second year of a five-year plan to reduce the average age of its entire reefer fleet to less than threee years.
Sea Star also recently entered into a five-year agreement to acquire new gensets to support the increased reefer fleet.
“We must begin transforming our equipment fleet to meet the needs of our customers and in preparation for our new LNG ships entering the Puerto Rico trade at the end of 2015,” said Jim Wagstaff, Sea Star’s vice president of operations, in a statement.
Under the five year replacement plan, Sea Star will take delivery of 750 new 40-foot and 45-foot reefer boxes. The reefers will be fitted with Carrier Transicold equipment, creating a standard fleet for shippers.
“Carrier Transicold continues to be at the forefront of the container transportation refrigeration industry. Sea Star Line is proud of this partnership which provides high quality assets for our customers and helps us protect the critical cold chain to Puerto Rico,” Wagstaff said.
The new reefer containers are being built to Sea Star’s specifications, which include upgraded floors and sides, exterior coating and structural enhancements to improve overall durability, dependability and reduce downtime related to repairs.
Sea Star has increased the number of reefer plugs on its vessels by more than 35 percent to accommodate the rise in reefer capacity. – Chris Dupin
Sea Star buying additional reefer boxes
