Traditional reefer ships carried half of all seaborne shipments of refrigerated cargoes as recently as 2000. Their share slipped below 30 percent in 2011, with actual volume below 2000 levels, and is certain to fall further as container lines add reefer capacity, the report said.
The largest conventional reefer ships have capacity of 700,000 cubic feet of hold capacity, in addition to container capacity on deck. Many container lines have vessels with several times that much capacity, Dynamar noted.
Amid perishable products demand that since 2000 has risen at an average annual rate of 6 percent, container lines are investing heavily in refrigerated equipment.
