The global shipping industry is witnessing intensifying competition in refrigerated cargo capacity, with European carriers pulling ahead of their Asian counterparts. These companies are actively investing in refrigerated container fleets to better serve growing global trade demands, particularly for temperature-controlled goods.
MSC, the world's largest container line, maintains its market leadership with an extensive reefer container inventory. Latest data reveals MSC currently operates 651,000 refrigerated container slots, representing 23.3% of its total fleet capacity. This marks a nearly 12% year-over-year increase in reefer plug capacity, demonstrating the company's continued expansion in cold chain logistics.
Alphaliner's analysis suggests that if all reefer slots were fully loaded with 40-foot refrigerated containers, shipping companies could dedicate one-fifth of their total capacity to temperature-controlled cargo. This statistic underscores the growing importance of refrigerated capabilities in current and future maritime markets.
CMA CGM has similarly achieved a 10% growth in reefer capacity, with refrigerated vessels now constituting 23% of its total fleet. This performance places the French carrier on par with other major players like Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, and HMM in refrigerated shipping capabilities.
The annual Alphaliner report notes a general positive correlation between reefer capacity and overall fleet size, though exceptions exist. ZIM Integrated Shipping Services ranks eighth in refrigerated container transport, ahead of Yang Ming and HMM, yet maintains a relatively modest market share.
Meanwhile, Asian carriers including COSCO and ONE show promising growth despite currently lower reefer capacity ratios of 16% and 18.5% respectively. Both companies have achieved double-digit growth in the past year, with newer vessels typically equipped with more reefer plugs, signaling their potential in the expanding cold chain market.
This upward trend in refrigerated capacity demonstrates shipping companies' market foresight and adaptability to evolving customer needs. For the international logistics sector, these developments present both new opportunities and challenges in maintaining cargo safety and quality during maritime transport.