Swiss Airtainer, partners launch solar-powered pharma container

[caption id="attachment_57135630" align="alignright" width="300"] Swiss Airtainer's solar-powered RKN container (Photo/Swiss Airtainer)[/caption] Swiss Airtainer, Swiss WorldCargo and BPL Biotech & Pharma Logistics have launched a solar-powered “self-sustaining airfreight container” that weighs 250 kilograms less than competitors’ containers, resulting in less fuel consumption. The first shipment with this container, which is designed to carry pharmaceuticals, went from Basel, Switzerland, via Zurich, to San Francisco this month. The container uses solar energy to feed its battery, allowing the thermal unit to maintain the required temperature range without the need for an external power source. This container is designed to make it easier to transport medicine to remote and underdeveloped areas , where access to cold chain infrastructure can be limited, according to Swiss WorldCargo, a subsidiary of Swiss International Air Lines . Lightweight, solar-powered, trackable The container incorporates advanced temperature- and humidity-control systems as well as smart technology, which provides real-time tracking and monitoring of the cargo. The container has been certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency . The pallet-size RKN container runs on batteries that can be charged via the power grid or its solar panels , Swiss Airtainer Chief Executive Eduard Seligman told Air Cargo Next . “The RKN container has the same capacities to run independently on its batteries as its peers, thus 100 hours — subject to delta temperature,” he said, adding that the solar option “allows for a simplification of the cold chain, as now containers can be left in the sun where they are automatically charged.” Two field tests — one a 30-hour test in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and the other a two-week test in Yverdon, Switzerland — showed that the containers were self-sustaining due to drawing power from the sun. The RKN container also uses less fuel than competitors’ RKN containers, which tend to be about 250 kilograms heavier, according to Seligman. The empty weight of Swiss Airtainer’s new container is 390 kilograms. In fuel consumption comparisons created by pier2pier.com, a website dedicated to freight forwarders, this new RKN container uses less fuel. In the two graphs below, Swiss Airtainer’s new container is labeled “RKN 1.” A move toward sustainable logistics The air cargo industry has been increasingly looking to reduce emissions. “This joint initiative is a great opportunity to explore innovative ways we can reduce our carbon footprint,” Urs Suter , general manager at BPL Switzerland, said in a release. Swiss Airtainer’s partners believe the container will make a large impact on the industry. “The self-sustaining airfreight container is a game changer for the industry, and we are highly committed to its success,” Lorenzo Stoll , head of cargo at Swiss International Air Lines, said in a release. A Swiss WorldCargo spokesperson told Air Cargo Next that this container is a critical step in continued initiatives to reduce the industry’s negative environmental impact. “The maiden flight of the first lightweight, active container represents an important milestone,” the spokesperson said. “We are proud of being part of this significant step towards a more sustainable and innovative transportation of life-saving medicines, and we look forward to future developments in sustainable logistics.”

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