Latin America’s largest shipping company, Chile-based CSAV, has become the first major line to adopt Carrier Transicold’s new eAutoFresh system for shipping produce between North and South America. The system features an innovative on-demand ventilation option designed for container refrigeration units.

CSAV opts for Carrier eAutoFresh system

The eAutoFresh system is an energy-efficient alternative to the common practice of continuously ventilating refrigerated containers to address cargo respiration, according to Carrier. For certain high-respiring perishable commodities, it can also extend shelf-life and enable shipping over longer routes. The system has a carbon dioxide (CO2) sensor that monitors container atmosphere and automatically opens the vent when CO2 levels rise above a pre-set point.â€¨â€¨

“Ventilating only on demand means the refrigeration system works less, thereby saving energy while protecting product quality. It’s part of our green suite of environmentally sound solutions,” explained James Taeckens, senior product manager at Carrier.

CSAV is already utilising the new system, having purchased 4,500 of Carrier’s EliteLINE units. These include 1,000 with eAutoFresh installed, 2,500 prepped for field installation of the system and 1,000 with Carrier EverFresh controlled-atmosphere systems. The EverFresh systems enable CSAV to maintain product integrity over longer routes to the Pacific Rim and Europe. CSAV rigorously field-tested the units with eAutoFresh systems; it will use them to handle exports of snow peas, asparagus and avocados on the South America/North America trade lanes.