OOCL：Launch of New Refrigerated Ocean Transportation Service Utilizing Electric Field Technology

2024-02-29 16:52By： OOCL

Sumitomo Corporation (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, President and CEO: Masayuki Hyodo) and Orient Overseas Container Line Limited (Head Office: Hong Kong, President and CEO: Zhijian Yang; hereinafter "OOCL") are pleased to announce the signing of a business alliance agreement to provide refrigerated ocean transport that utilizes electric field technology (*1) and realizes the long-term preservation of freshness for a variety of commercial products.(hereinafter "the Service").

Mr. Teddy Fung, Director of Trades at OOCL (Left),

Mr. Takashi Yanai, General Manager of Logistics Infrastructure Business Division of Sumitomo Corporation (Right)

International transportation of perishable products, which must be preserved freshness, faces challenges to be transported in the shortest possible transit time in ocean transportation, and high cost burden in air transportation. In order to expand food supply areas and ensure a stable supply of products, it has been desired to develop a service that enables long-term ocean transportation utilizing refrigerated storage technology with minimal quality loss.

Taking advantage of the development of electric field containers conducted by MARS Company, Inc. (Head office: Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture/Sumitomo Corporation 8.53% investment), Sumitomo Corporation established an electric field container procurement system with the cooperation of Daiichi Institution Industry Co.,Ltd.(Head office: Kasuya-gun, Fukuoka Prefecture), which manufactures and sells electric field-related equipment, and OOCL. Additionally, Sumitomo Corporation also obtained patents (*2), including one for a "food transportation method" that lowers the non-freezing temperature of food products and improves the freshness retention effect by shrink packing the food products with a high degree of vacuum in an electric field environment.

OOCL is one of the world’s largest integrated international container transportation and logistics companies, with about 130 offices in more than 100 major cities, and has a global customer base.

Sumitomo Corporation and OOCL aim to establish a new standard for freshness-preserving logistics by developing refrigerated ocean transport based on this service. Through the promotion of this service, Sumitomo Corporation and OOCL would like to realize ocean transportation of non-freezing chilled products from distant locations, which is currently impossible, and to deliver attractive food products in fresh and stable conditions to wider locations in the world. At the same time, by meeting the demands of regions seeking to promote the export of fresh food products, we will contribute to the stable supply of food products through diversification of supply locations. In addition, this service is expected to reduce food loss by extending expiration dates, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transportation costs by facilitating the switch from air to ocean transportation.

In implementing this service, Sumitomo Corporation and OOCL have conducted a 30-month demonstration experiment with Itoham Yonekyu Holdings, a major player in the meat distribution and processing industry, and successfully established the new mechanism to distribute and is going to launch the commercial operation of fresh pork as the first service provider in the meat and logistics industry to transport Spanish pork, which had previously only been imported as frozen products, in refrigerated condition. In addition, Sumitomo Corporation and OOCL will collaborate with SC Foods Co.,Ltd, a trading company specializing in food products within the Sumitomo Corporation Group, and Mowi Japan Co.,Ltd, a major salmon manufacturer, to realize a new distribution model for a variety of fresh products.

Sumitomo Corporation and OOCL will continue to build a more environmentally friendly global logistics network through price-competitive, high-quality, low-carbon refrigerated maritime transportation by leveraging the strengths and business bases of both companies.