Spring 2016 56 OF CONTAINERS A NEW GENERATION AQUAVIVA CMA CGM Editorial and publication Director: Tanya Saadé Zeenny Editor: Marianne Lacroix Coordination: Olivia Simonetti GROUP MAGAZINE Graphic Design: CMA CGM Studio – Eric Zuber, Damien Boulanger, Margaux Esposito, Bastien Régis Printing FARID T. N°56 and distribution supervision: Christine Nunes, Marianne Zeenny Contributeurs: Alexandra Beaumont, Eric Le- SALEM SPRING 2016 gros, Alexis Michel, Patrice Mittard, Sylvain Ono Dit Biot, Emmanuel Pitron, Véronique Touze, Olivier Tretout Ed- iting: Hervé Gallet, Paul Molga Photos crédits: CMA CGM, Shutterstock, Thierry Dosogne, Philip Plisson, Jus- tine Michel, Golem Images et Corinne Vezzoni & Associés, Panama Canal Number of issues: 22,000 – quarterly CMA CGM Group ISN : 1287-8863 Executive Officer.
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CMA CGM Marseille Head Office 4, quai d'Arenc 13235 Marseille cedex 02 France
CONTENT Tel: +33 (0)4 88 91 90 00 www.cma-cgm.com EDITORIAL
On April 20th, our Group announced that it had signed We are also meeting their growing demands, notably AROUND THE WORLD an operational agreement with COSCO Container Lines, in refrigerated transport where our reefer experts bring OOCL and Evergreen. Ocean Alliance is a ground-breaking all their expertise to the table, providing them with agreement pooling 360 vessels on 45 different services personalised day-to-day support that goes far beyond a deployed on the world’s busiest sea trade routes. purely business relationship.
The Alliance will enable us to offer our customers an unrivalled service with more weekly sailings, wider port THE EXPERTS CMA CGM maintains a business policy AQUAVIVA: A NEW GENERATION OF CONTAINERS coverage, and more direct calls thereby reducing transit times, all ensuring a reliable service. “based on being close to customers and It also allows each partner company to optimise operations by positioning vessels to ensure capacity is best matched responding to their needs. to each service. “ FOCUS The signing demonstrates once again how CMA CGM We also integrate the best technology in our industry. Yes- PANAMA CANAL EXPANSION is leading from the front, despite a difficult economic terday, we launched the first world-connected containers A positive upheaval in store for maritime trade! situation for the whole industry and extremely volatile equipped with TRAXENS technology. Today, thanks to a freight rates, as confirmed by the first quarter of 2016. new type of container, we can transport live lobsters in optimal conditions and offer customers new opportunities In this constantly changing industry, our Group remains to grow their business. strong and continues to grow. Operating in more than TRAVEL 160 countries on all continents, CMA CGM maintains a Backed by this breadth of expertise, acquired over the CARGO CRUISE An authentic voyage business policy based on being geographically close years since our company was founded, and a determina- to customers and responding to their needs. We are tion to be a driving force in changing the shipping world, continually upgrading our services with increasingly we want to be the leading carrier for our customers. It is innovative solutions to best meet their expectations. for them that we adapt our rotations, launch new lines and open new inland corridors; it is for them that we keep on GROUP LIFE Hence why, ahead of the opening of the expanded investing and innovating. 18 CMA CGM: THE REEFERENCE Panama Canal, last year CMA CGM signed an agreement at a new hub in Kingston, Jamaica, able to accommodate It is with them that we are building the shipping of the and operate the big ships that will make the crossing via future. the enlarged canal. A strategic location in the heart of the Caribbean it enables us to offer services tailored to our customers. INNOVATION THE CAMP: CMA CGM INVESTS IN THE DIGITAL WORLD
2 3 SPRING 2016 AROUND THE WORLD
CMA CGM RESPONDS TO GROWTH IN THE GROUP PURSUES WELCOME BENJAMIN FRANKLIN! CMA CGM: MAIN PARTNER OF WEST INDIES MARKET EXPANSION IN AFRICA MONUMENTA 2016 AT THE GRAND At Long Beach mid-February, CMA CGM PALAIS IN PARIS Present in the West Indies for several For several years now, the CMA CGM launched a new giant of the The CMA CGM Group is the principle decades, the CMA CGM Group has Group has been pursuing a strategic seas named after a historical figure in partner of Monumenta 2016, a major developed a diversified and extremely decision to develop its services in America. “I name this ship CMA CGM contemporary art event being held at the reliable network of services dedicated to Africa, the acquisition of Delmas Benjamin Franklin. I wish all her crew and Grand Palais in Paris from May 8th to June this region. in 2006 being a strong sign of this those who sail on her a fair wind.” The 18th 2016. This year the Group upgraded its services ambition. With its skilled teams, a date was February 19th. After pronouncing This year, the spotlight is on French- to the West Indies. During the first quarter dense agency network and rapidly this ritualistic phrase, the containership’s Chinese artist Huang Yong Ping and his of 2016 capacity on the direct PCRF line, expanding inland inbound services, godmother released a bottle of work entitled “Empires”. When exploring connecting the Caribbean to North Europe, CMA CGM has become a recognized champagne which in time-honoured globalization, he often uses metaphors was increased when two older 2,200 TEU player in the transport sector on this fashion broke on contact with the hull. inspired by the maritime universe in his vessels were replaced by ships able to continent. In order to continue offering “By bringing this ship to the United works. Monumenta 2016 confirms this carry up to 2,800 TEU. Two extra European ever more innovative transport solutions States we are confirming our commitment approach, integrating shipping industry calls have also been added at Zeebrugge adapted to customer requirements, the to strengthening our presence here,” elements into the piece itself. It was the and Rotterdam, providing more import Group decided to bring all its shipping explained the Group’s Chairman Jacques strong presence of CMA CGM within the and export opportunities to West Indies activities to and from Africa under the R. Saadé, minutes before the ceremony. same sector that convinced the Group customers. CMA CGM brand. Present on both seaboards and in the to be the main sponsor. By upgrading its fleet serving the West Since March 1st 2016, the Delmas brand Gulf of Mexico, CMA CGM has set a goal CMA CGM has been involved with the Indies, CMA CGM is responding both is now CMA CGM. For the Group’s to provide rapid and efficient responses project from its genesis to production, to the 3% year-on-year growth in the customers nothing has changed, as to American market expectations and making available its expertise, industrial Caribbean market and that on the intra- shipping and overland services remain continue its development. In this context, resources and knowhow when it comes Caribbean trade. the same as do the staff, all committed the Group is paying homage to the to extremely complex logistics. There are now five of the Group’s lines to guaranteeing a quality service close country’s history by naming its new vessel calling into this region, linking the West to their clients. “Benjamin Franklin”, one of the founding Indies to the rest of the world, and also To support the transition, CMA CGM fathers of the United States. providing efficient transshipment relays launched a publicity campaign focused through three regional services reaching on Africa which will appear in more than the whole sub-region. 23 African countries.
4 5 SPRING 2016 THE EXPERTS
Aquaviva: The name says it all: Aquaviva is a means of transporting live aquatic animals by sea and is the brand new container launched by CMA CGM. The device was developed at the instigation of Jacques R. Saadé and designed in partnership with a company specialised in water filtration systems for the shellfish farming sector, in other words the production A revolutionary of shellfish such as oysters and mussels. “Based on two principles, the combination of which has produced this global innovation, the Aquaviva container is the fruit of several years of R&D projects jointly led by our reefer teams and those at EMYG,” explains Alexis Michel, Senior Vice President Logistics, Containers, Intermodal & Reefer at CMA CGM. mode of transport The first product to benefit from opportunities presented by this innovative container type are lobsters. Until now they have been transported frozen or live on a block of ice by air. Now they can be taken by sea in optimal conditions with no break from their natural habitat. “The new containers are filled with salt water, the temperature of which is maintained by reefer technologies employed by CMA CGM, and recreate the lobster’s for live lobsters natural habitat. Each animal has its own individual space as it does when lying low under a rock on the seabed,” says Alexis Michel.
With its new “Aquaviva” technology, designed initially to transport live lobsters by sea, CMA CGM is once again leading the way as a pioneer in the container sector: an innovation that opens up many new prospects.
From the fishing trawler to the final customer, live lobsters are carried safely in the containers filled with Sea Water that will be filtered and maintained at constant temperature during the whole journey.
6 7 PRINTEMPSSPRING 2016 2016 THE EXPERTS
NO STRESS CROSSING
At the end of a 12-day crossing, the health authorities in Rotterdam found the lobsters to be in excellent condition and particularly robust. “In effect it gave the green light to our project,” sums up Sylvain Ono Dit Biot. He was however still determined to further improve the system by combining refrigeration and temperature regulation for when normal cold conditions reach extreme levels, as they do in Canada for example. “We built a version 2 Aquaviva container with an inner glass door to make it easier to inspect the animals and also a new drainage device. Then we built a version 3 that was even more robust to withstand the fiercest storms without having to worry about the occupants.”
The first target markets for the equipment will be those in North America and Europe, but according to Alexis Michel this new generation of containers will in the medium term also be open to transporting other seafood products by sea: “In short, Aquaviva will enable us to convert other products to container transport and access emerging demands for transport.” Exports from France of blue lobsters, clams and oysters to Russia or Japan, etc., the prospects are many and currently being investigated. Among them are those concerning the ultra-delicate transport of rock lobsters.
A final note on technical aspects: for every kilo of lobster carried in the new Aquaviva containers only 406g of CO2 is produced, compared to nearly 3,960g when transported by air. It’s a figure that proves yet again that the CMA CGM Group really is fully committed to controlling the carbon footprint linked to its business. A TECHNOLOGICAL FEAT In the wake of Traxens, which transforms containers into connected objects, CMA CGM continues its innovation strategy with Aquaviva. Not only is it a significant development but also a global innovation making the Group the only These specialised reefers are equipped with a mechanical, biological ocean carrier able to offer this type of service to its customers. and natural continuous water filtration system based on EMYG’s unique Aquapure expertise: the salt water in the container is being continuously filtered, without the use of any chemical element, guaranteeing its purity and ensuring live lobsters are transported in optimal conditions.
It all started three years ago at a meeting between managers from the CMA CGM Group and EMYG. The company had recently ins- talled a mobile filtration system on an articulated lorry to relocate an oyster farm in the Arcachon region in France. The idea then came to transpose this concept to a standard-sized container. “The main challenge was immediately obvious as the system had to be made “sea-proof” and strengthened, given that a container is subject to More about lobsters continuous movement in a corrosive environment,” explains Syl- th th vain Ono Dit Biot, Support Reefer Manager. Systems devised to In the 17 and 18 century, lobster was so common along the Atlantic north coast of America it was considered avoid any leakage were soon added to other customs and phytosanitary obligations. Another major consideration was food for servants, slaves and even prisoners! Times have changed dramatically for the lobster which has that an in-depth understanding of the lobster’s metabolism was required to ensure the animals would be in the best become rarer, both as a dish and in its natural habitat, the cold Atlantic waters on European and American conditions throughout the journey. shores. They live under rocks in coastal zones, from areas that become exposed when the tide is out up to depths of 50m. Having overcome all the technical and administrative obstacles, the first trial was arranged between France and Morocco in 2014. A few months later in January 2015, a prototype version 1 Aquaviva container was shipped to To date no farming method has proved profitable, due to the time it takes for an animal to reach a commercially- Canada, a major lobster exporter. In fact, the government of New Brunswick on the east coast was already committed viable size. However, aquaculture farms, particularly in Canada and Norway, help maintain stocks by intro- to a strategy to upgrade its lobster production, while keeping a careful eye on preserving this resource and respecting ducing lobsters raised in captivity to the wild. Considered by many to be almost immortal, no-one really knows the animal. At the end of 2015, there was another loading, this time of 2,800 crustaceans heading for the Netherlands the true lifespan of lobsters. What is known is that these crustaceans are very sensitive to their environment in the version 2 prototype. and the quality of the water in which they live. That’s what makes this new mode of transport developed by CMA CGM with EMYG so innovative and promising for the future.
8 9 SPRING 2016 FOCUS
It was an event that took the world by surprise when on century. During this period of discovery and conquest, the October 22nd 2006, the Panamanian people gave the Isthmus of Panama that was under Spanish domination nod in a referendum to a project launched six months was a passage route for gold and silver from Peru. But the previously by their President to expand the Panama Canal. road was long for overland convoys, and galleons loaded With 66% of voters saying “yes”, everyone understood with treasure on route to Europe were exposed to storms PANAMA CANAL that the face of international trade was about to undergo and proved heaven-sent victims for pirates. a sea change. While Holy Roman Emperor Charles V had dreamed of Ten years on and the titanic works are nearing completion, doing something in 1534, it all really began in 1881 as EXPANSION a prelude to the official opening of new locks, essential the result of a French initiative. Given that Ferdinand de to international shipping. “The expanded canal will turn Lesseps had led a successful project to build the Suez international trade on its head, and it is shipping lines Canal in Egypt, which opened in 1869, why not repeat the that will be affected the most, particularly those involved feat in Central America? Work began but had to stop in on the Asia / East Coast United States routes,” explains 1888, due to the monumental scale of the project and the THE PANAMA CANAL EXPANSION Farid T. Salem, CMA CGM Group Executive Officer. financial problems that dogged the company responsible Reordering PROGRAMME IS NEARING COMPLETION for the project. Geopolitics then intervened as a separa- AND SOON THE NEW 14,000 TEU NEO- In the former configuration, the canal could take what tist movement supported by the United States broke with maritime trade were referred to as “Panamax” vessels, with a length of Columbia. In 1903, at the same time as Panama gained PANAMAX VESSELS WILL BE ABLE 294m and 32m wide. Tomorrow, ships measuring 363m x its independence, a deal was reached giving the US TO CROSS STRAIGHT FROM THE 49m with a draft of 15m will be able to use it. It’s a major “rights in perpetuity” over the canal zone that remained evolution as traffic moves from a TEU capacity of 5,000 to be completed. It took another 11 years to finish the PACIFIC TO THE ATLANTIC. A MAJOR to 14,000. construction which was beset with problems. It was not RESHUFFLE OF ALL THE CARDS HELD until 1914 that ships could finally navigate the 77km canal It would have been an unimaginable volume to the and its locks to go from one ocean to another without ha- BY INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING, THE Μ captain of the steam-powered cargo ship, the Ancon, ving to take the interminable detour. For example, where CMA CGM GROUP HAS ANTICIPATED which on August 15th 1914 was the first to cross the a boat sailing from New York to San Francisco via Cape THIS SEA CHANGE, PARTICULARLY WITH Panama Canal, ensuring a place in the history books. By Horn would have had to travel 24,500km, now it had a crossing from the Pacific to Atlantic without having to go 9,700km alternative, less than half the distance, if it chose ITS KINGSTON HUB. round the whole of South America via Cape Horn, the to take the Panama Canal that could be crossed in eight Ancon realized a dream the conquistadors had in the 16th to ten hours.
10 11 SPRING 2016 FOCUS
Evolution of shipping routes
Every year some 15,000 vessels cross the canal, around 40 a day, carrying over 200 million tons of merchandise.
As soon as the project was announced, CMA CGM started examining the different options. Up until then, the canal’s dimensions set the rules of the game as they limited the size of ships. “Whether it’s the Kingston hub, other ports in the Caribbean region or shipping connections between the United States’ East and West Coast, the region’s technological and commercial strategies were all intimately linked to the size of the Panamax ships,” explains Olivier Tretout, CEO of the Kingston Terminal.
“The moment President Torrijos received the support of his electorate to expand the canal, we started studying the cascade effects this major change would have in order to adapt our capacities and strategy in the best way possible,” continues Patrice Mittard, Vice President Operations at CMA CGM.
Destinies are linked between the Panama Canal and CMA CGM, as the Group is its fourth largest customer, even number two when talking container transport. Now the very large vessels will be able to make this rapid connection via the Pacific and Panama Canal. “The increase in capacities will be gradual,” explains Patrice Mittard, with vessels passing first from 5,000 to 9,000 or 10,000 TEU before the even larger ships, time for the port of New York to finish its project to raise the height of the Bayonne Bridge. CMA CGM is already set to integrate 13,000 TEU containerships on this route and six 14,000 TEU giants are currently being built. For Farid T. Salem: “The new situation will allow us to adapt our offer 15cm either side of the hull to global economic fluctuations even better and faster than ever before. It has reshuffled the cards and led us to rethink our traditional lines between Obviously, such a significant reduction in distances and navigation times had a major impact on the Asia and the rest of the world.” When questioned further about whether international shipping trade, to such an extent that the canal had to be continually altered over the new markets will develop or emerge given the new opportunities, and how years to adjust to economic contingences and changes to transport. In 1939 for example, the United customers will react, he says: “It’s not that simple. While it may be an States launched a project to build new locks to allow passage for larger ships. When the Second evolution it’s not a revolution. For sure, between New York and Shanghai, World War broke out, work was suspended and in 1945 the giant USS Missouri battleship squeezed going via Panama shortens the route compared to Suez (10,582 miles as through with a margin of just 15cm either side of the hull at the canal’s narrowest point! opposed to 12,366). On the other hand, between New York and Hong Kong the difference is only one day at sea. It’s a subtle choice between Panama Simply trying to widen it was not enough and it became essential to find a more radical solution and Suez and requires a lot of thought on our part to give our customers to significantly increase the canal’s capacity: namely to add a third set of locks with larger basins. the best service.” However, it was not the Americans who passed the act but the Panamanians themselves. In fact, Washington agreed to renounce its “rights in perpetuity” drawn up in 1904, as the result of a treaty signed in 1977 which culminated in the US completing its withdrawal in 1999. On December 31st 1999, the canal came under the sole control of Panama which was finally able to make the passageway a central element of its economy and vital source of revenue. But it had to act quickly as neighbouring Nicaragua was planning to open its own competing canal. “The canal is our oil ! ” declared Panama’s Head of State General Torrijos in 2004. “Its capacity needs to be expanded to absorb the growing demand of cargo ships and to generate more wealth for the Panamanians.”
12 13 SPRING 2016 FOCUS
On the administration side, the old lock gates, “curved centenarians”, have been replaced by new rectilinear gates that slide into the walls once open, thus increasing the usable width. Another notable change: while the old locks took Kingston: a strategic crossroads eight minutes to fill, the new ones, although much larger, will fill in just 10 minutes. There are many anecdotes related to this massive project, including the meticulous operation to clear 400 hectares rigged with explosives in a former The canal’s expansion will also have a major impact on imports coming from Asia to the United States West Coast. As US Army shooting range along six kilometres of the channel leading to the Pacific coast. In a few months, all these goods unloaded at Long Beach or Los Angeles are then taking inland links to the East where two thirds of Americans technical details will be forgotten and priority given to the new opportunities it provides for global trade. It’s important live, the delivery chain could be turned upside down by the development of direct Asia-USA East Coast trade. “With to remember that 90% of goods on international markets are carried on the world’s shipping routes: it is the safest and their higher volumes, the Post-Panamax ships will offer major price advantages.” most economical mode of transport, facts that made it imperative to modernize the Panama Canal. But to properly assess the consequences will take around three to five years, the time it takes for a gradual evolution to occur. The Regarding the Kingston hub in Jamaica which is centrally located in the Caribbean Sea, opposite the Panama Canal era of the Neo-Panamax is only just beginning… just one day’s sailing away, CMA CGM decided long ago to make this a strategic location. “Establishing a hub in Panama would have lengthened the route for certain lines plying the region, while Kingston has all the advantages, both for the very big ships and all the others,” explains Olivier Tretout.
While around 10% of goods unloaded at Kingston are for the local market, 90% of volumes transhipped onto other vessels are heading off in all directions, East Coast and Gulf of Mexico. A 30-year concession was signed between the Jamaican authorities and the CMA CGM Group (and its subsidiary Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited) to develop the CMA CGM AND THE PANAMA CANAL container terminal’s staffing and technical capabilities: more than 900 employees, 2,400m of dock, 14 then 18 gantry cranes and a deeper channel, will all help to meet the new challenges. “It’s a whole new network for everyone, that’s the issue,” says Olivier Tretout.
For CMA CGM, everything is now in place and it’s just a question of waiting until June 26th 2016 , the date set for the official opening of the “new look” canal. As well as the widening and deepening of existing navigational channels, the 11 331 makeover sees new lock systems that will be nothing like the old ones. Two sets have been built, one Pacific-side and Number of CMA CGM lines that Number of vessels a year which the other on the Atlantic side, each comprising several water retention basins. cross the Panama Canal cross the Panama Canal n°4 835,177 OF 582 CLIENTS Number of TEU carried on the Panama Customer ranking for the CMA CGM Canal for the CMA CGM Group Group for the Panama Canal
14 15 SPRING 2016 TRAVEL
WHAT OUR PASSENGERS HAVE TO SAY By choosing a cargo cruise, you are no longer a tourist but a “Having travelled by cargo nine times, including two round traveller – taking time to look around you, intensely aware and the worlds, dare I admit that I am totally hooked on this way savouring every moment of life at sea, as land fades into the of travelling on CMA CGM container ships! Spacious cabins, distance and the vastness of the oceans opens out before you. service worthy of a multi-star hotel. The pleasure of sharing meals with the captain and his officers. The professionalism The profile of travellers varies widely from freedom-loving of the crews who even when they are really busy are always Cargo hedonists to painters and writers in search of an inspiratio- smiling. I am often the only woman on board and have always CRUISE nal space; all adventurers at heart. The aspect they have in appreciated the kindness and respect shown by these men common is a need for new horizons; a desire to embrace the of the sea: a passion we have in common!” confides Mary R. vastness of our oceans as they appeared to the great explorers of bygone eras; the desire to experience the mariner’s way of “As you enter a port you leave behind the earthly world,” ex- life by sharing in the daily lives of the crew and learning about plains Fabien G. on the CMA CGM Médéa - French Asia Line AN AUTHENTIC their way of life. Ahead lies the surprise of the next port of call, 2. “Not just anybody can come into a terminal, so you hold for there is always a new world waiting beyond the horizon. tight to the boarding card, that indispensable “open sesame” to a big adventure. At last, we’re at the dock – and there she By inviting passengers aboard the ships in its fleet (1), CMA is! Viewed from the bottom of the gangway, the Médéa doesn’t VOYAGE CGM is reviving an era of travel when the pleasure lay not in look like a ship. For a moment she looks like a wall of metal. I the destination but the journey itself. can’t distinguish the front or the back. Some 40 metres higher Forget packaged tours, up I glimpse movements. Containers seem to be flying, sus- impersonal hotels, beaten With 450 ports of call in more than 160 countries, the Group’s pended by a huge gantry crane that lifts them up off the ship containerships ply the world’s oceans, dropping anchor on and lowers them on to the quay. The first phase of my journey tracks and paths that have all continents. If the mission of these giants of the sea is to is about to begin as I ascend the boarding ladder (long, very transport goods from one side of the globe to the other, their long!) giving access to the bridge at an angle of 45°. No point been trodden a million times size and capacity allow them to accommodate a few privileged counting the steps, better to take care and not commit a faux guests. Who would imagine that these impressive ships have pas! The ocean awaits me in my mind, already I can hear those Welcome Aboard one of several private cabins and that passengers can travel in comfort magic words: “Cast off!” After a stop of barely 24 hours in Le CMA CGM’s containerships to with relaxation areas, TV room, even sports facilities available, Havre, the Médéa will be heading to Dunkirk tomorrow, then and meals prepared by the head chef and taken in the officers’ Zeebrugge. Then there will be Hamburg, Rotterdam, Zeebrug- explore oceans, seas and ports mess. There is no need to have a definitive programme, any ge again, then Southampton.The big containerships will then voyage is possible from a few days to several months. You can head south to Gibraltar, Lebanon, the Red Sea, Jeddah. Di- of call, and gain a whole new get off at any port of call and stay for 24 hours, one week or rection Indian Ocean and Asia! I am going to another planet.” perspective. longer, and wait for another ship to continue your journey. (1) Information and reservations Cargo Cruise contact: [email protected]
16 17 SPRING 2016 GROUP LIFE
Bananas, apples, pears, shellfish, frozen meat and fish, cut flowers, but also wine and medicines - over 150 products and categories of consumer goods travel every day by sea in a temperature-controlled or refrigerated environment. As the logistics become ever more accurate, reefer containers that first appeared on the market in the 1950s have really taken off in the last few years. World number 2 in this expanding sector, CMA CGM operates 113,000 of these technical containers. With 900,000 TEU in Reefer containers carried last year, their share of the total flow of CMA CGM containers has risen from 4.5% to nearly 10% in a decade.
“It’s an area of expertise in which we have invested significant resources,” explains Eric Legros, Deputy Vice President in charge of this department. But over the last ten years not all the hard work has gone into increasing volumes. From simple refrigerators replacing chilled holds in cargo vessels, Reefer containers have become tools for maintaining optimal conditions for preserving sensitive goods from point of production to consignee by containership, barge, train or truck. “We now have a cold chain,” sums up Eric Legros.
Reefer container design has evolved to provide a consistent, uniform flow of chilled air from the floor to reach every cubic centimetre of volume. Temperature control is to within half a degree, from -60°C to freeze the flavours of the tastiest goods up to +25°C to keep oils and beverages in a stable atmosphere whatever the weather throws at them during the crossing.
TRAVELLING IN A CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERE : From ultra-cold minuses to temperature-controlled pluses the distribution of electronic sensors in the boxes enables them to cover the full spectrum of conservation requirements à la carte, from tropical fruits that must be prevented from ripening, to chocolate that will not tolerate the slightest discrepancy. It’s not just about food products, but also preserving the nap of leather goods for example, or, an extreme case, adhesives for the aerospace industry. For it is in these hi-tech boxes that the necessary conditions for transport are recreated to ensure the chemical composition of adhesives bound for major assembly factories remains stable.
It is not just about temperature. “By modifying the nature of the air in the container, we can control the ripening pro- cess of fresh produce and increase shelf life,” adds Eric Legros. Thanks to partnerships with global air conditioning giants and research bodies such as CIRAD (Centre International de Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement) BACKED BY ITS EXPERTS, UNIQUE KNOWHOW to develop refrigerated containers, CMA CGM can offer several types of container to meet very specific needs. While AND A DIVERSIFIED FLEET EQUIPPED WITH THE more conventional systems can regulate the flow of air and temperature, others are able to control the composition of air, be it the CO level or more recently that of oxygen. In ambient air which contains 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, LATEST TECHNOLOGY, CMA CGM STANDS OUT FOR 2 0.03% carbon dioxide, agricultural goods transpire and dehydrate, aerobic micro-organisms thrive threatening decay, THE QUALITY OF ITS SERVICE IN REFRIGERATED ethylene is produced causing ripening, while respiration leads to ageing. The air inside Reefers is constantly renewed CONTAINER TRANSPORT. THANKS TO A REEFER by ventilation systems linked to sensors and electronically controlled to maintain the optimal environment. For example, a CO2 level of 8% to prevent avocadoes from ripening, 65% humidity for some early vegetables, 4% oxygen to keep FLEET DESIGNED TO MEET ANY REQUIREMENTS FOR bananas in hibernation, and so on. CONSERVATION AND PROTECTION, FROM ULTRA- COLD TO TIGHTLY CONTROLLED CHILLING, THE GROUP OFFERS CUSTOMERS TAILORED SOLUTIONS FOR THEIR PRODUCTS.
18 19 SPRING 2016 GROUP LIFE
REEFER EXPERTS IN THE FIELD Bananas from Ecuador To maximise the benefits of Reefer technology, CMA CGM able to deliver the energy required to operate reefers as has a dedicated organisation in 85 countries and in several they have plugs and on-board generators. The Group’s 5 CHALLENGES The challenge: PRECISION of its regional offices (Hong Kong, Durban, Sao Paulo, Reefers going overland are also equipped with portable Impossible not to include them in any diet: packed with Miami, Dubai, Norfolk). “They study the requirements of generators (gensets). Alongside the fleet of conventional vitamins, practical and with a rich velvety texture, for shippers and consignees before giving technical advice Reefers, most of which are low-energy, the Group also WHEN years the banana has been the product with star ap- on chilled transport. They can even provide specific trai- has specialised equipment including a 1,700-strong fleet peal standing out among other fruit and vegetables. No ning courses to shippers both in the agricultural or sea- of 45 feet containers adapted to multi-modal transport question of missing even one weekend in the year. Su- food product sectors,” comments Eric Legros. in Europe, allowing the largest number of pallets to be permarkets demand weekly deliveries on a fixed day. Seafarers also have a role to play in monitoring shipments: loaded (32). On the main Reefer routes, CMA CGM is TRANSPORTING Picked before they are ripe in the Ivory Coast, but parti- on the dock reefer experts ensure refrigerated containers committed to deploying a high-quality service that res- cularly in the West Indies, Costa Rica, Mexico, Colombia are loaded properly and are functioning correctly. pects strict criteria regards punctuality. Even after several and Ecuador, the fruit must cross the ocean and not look days, sometimes several weeks at sea, vessels arrive at a day older at the end of the journey. In dedicated ree- On board, staff regularly check the parameters recorded the right port on time ready to supply supermarkets the SENSITIVE fer containers the air is replenished every two hours to by electronic data-loggers every 30 minutes: supply air, day before a weekend or major festivals. get rid of the ethylene which could rekindle the ripening return air and ambient air temperatures, humidity levels, process, and the temperature maintained at 13.6°C, the etc. If there is a problem an alarm immediately alerts Every day more than 200 million tons of refrigerated goods optimal environment for conserving them. The Group ex- the crew who take the appropriate action. “All data is travel by sea, of which half are in Reefer containers. Their PRODUCE cels at transporting bananas. recorded to show that everything went smoothly during share of the market continues to grow with the increased the crossing,” says Eric Legros. “It gives our customers demand for quality and freshness. CMA CGM transports confidence, as they are putting their perishable goods in nearly 9% of the global volume. our hands and rely on us to control the entire cold chain.” Citrus fruit from South Africa Fruit and veg from Morocco On the 200 lines operated by CMA CGM, all vessels are The challenge: SECURITY The challenge: SPEED Imperative not to export parasites with the fruit. For CMA CGM has deployed five connections with 14 several years now the big citrus importers (Japan, Korea, weekly sailings to support the citrus fruit export season United States, China, Taiwan…) have been protecting (oranges, clementines…) and spring vegetables (toma- REEFER CONTAINERS HAVE BECOME THANKS TO PARTNERSHIPS WITH their own plantations, with agreements varying from state toes, courgettes, peppers…) from Morocco to Great to state requiring shipments to be treated to eradicate TOOLS FOR MAINTAINING OPTIMAL GLOBAL AIR CONDITIONING GIANTS Britain, Russia, the Middle East and North America. By pests and their egg-layers. The solution adopted by careful synchronisation of timetables, vessels leaving CONDITIONS FOR PRESERVING SENSITIVE AND RESEARCH BODIES, CMA CGM CMA CGM avoids fumigation and insecticides. During Agadir reach North Europe – one of the biggest markets GOODS CAN PROVIDE SEVERAL TYPES OF 12 to 16 days at sea, a steady temperature close to for fruit and veg from the sunny south – at the same time zero destroys all living parasites without ever freezing as trucks, increasingly at a disadvantage due to tougher CONTAINER TO MEET SPECIFIC the fruit. The term is “steri-shipment” or cold treatment. border controls. Advantages: reliability, security and less NEEDS Twice daily reports from sensors planted in several fruits impact on the environment. The Reefers employed have feeds into a database that can be consulted by the the same capacity as refrigerated lorries: 45ft allowing buyer. If values are exceeded, he may decide to divert a stuffing capacity of 32 (European) pallets against the his cargo to markets not subject to these protocols. usual 23 for standard Reefers.
Fish from the Indian Ocean Grapes from California The challenge: CONSERVATION Looking as if they’ve just come out of the water despite The challenge: KEEPING IT FRESH several days on a ship - only a handful of operators know With competition on this market from the airlines, CMA how to handle fish with the delicate flesh that delights CGM’s maritime solution is both more economical, discerning gourmets. CMA CGM deploys a fleet of ultra- when transporting large volumes, and useful as the time low Reefer containers that freeze the product to below taken for the crossing is put to good use to eliminate zero temperatures beyond -40°C. In these hibernation undesirable fungi. In an atmosphere at 1°C, shipments conditions, the fish arrive on the stalls with bright eyes requiring it are ionised by ultra-violet lamps to partially and no blemishes. Everything is “ultra” in the Reefers transform the oxygen present in the containers into transporting them: the insulation material to withstand ozone, a sworn enemy in the battle against fungal and the difference in temperature of up to 80°C between the bacterial growth. Ozone acts like a natural disinfectant. inside and outside of the container, the compressors… It’s like breathing the air after a thunderstorm where the Despite that the service remains very competitive when lightening will have ionised the atmosphere. compared to air transport: 40ft fitted-out containers can take 25 tonnes of produce, whereas the price is given per kilo by the airlines.
20 21 SPRING 2016 INNOVATION
The Camp: CMA CGM invests in the digital world
Destined to become a laboratory of ideas focused on the digital universe, The Camp is due THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX to open its doors in Aix-en-Provence. Even before it has a physical location, The Camp is already a think-tank bringing together blue chip companies, start-ups, teachers and For this project, CMA CGM aims to promote a global, forward-looking vision researchers, an initiative CMA CGM wanted to invest in and be involved. for shipping: “What will the future be like for our profession in ten years? What impact will the digital universe have on industrial and commercial basics underpinning our industry? How can we encourage innovative Innovate, anticipate, accelerate together to succeed processes? How can we break down the barriers between private and public sectors? How can we create a new learning experience by ensuring “ CEOs, managers, teachers and students cross paths? These are the type Is how Emmanuel Macron, France’s Mi- Being a non-standard project with a global “ of questions (and many others) that this new genre of university will help us nister of the Economy, Industry and Digi- ambition centred on innovation and based address. The remit is not set in stone and we are expecting a lot from the tal Affairs described The Camp project, a in Aix-en-Provence, it was only natural ambitious promises put forward by The Camp,” explains Emmanuel Pitron, whole new genre of campus for Europe. for CMA CGM to be involved. Indeed, the CMA CGM Vice President Strategy and Development. Dedicated to the digital revolution and city Group wasted no time joining the project, of the future, The Camp aims to be inter- wanting to invest in it, not only as a res- Other issues such as the “sustainable city” or “the position of logistics and national, cross-disciplinary, cross cultural ponsible major economic player but also shipping in the digital world” could be the topic for case studies. and cross-generational, in short a centre as a visionary company that has made in- for inspirational exchange where people novation one of its trademarks. Alongside Although everyone must be patient for a few more months before The Camp from all backgrounds will come to col- CMA CGM are other big groups such as is up and running within the walls of Aix-en-Provence and a catalyst for the laborate. The idea is to bring together in IBM, Cisco, EDF, Sodexo, Vinci and Crédit whole region, 2016 will be more than just the construction phase. Each one place blue chip companies, start-ups, Agricole: partners united round innovation founding member has already set up an internal network of contributors, academics, teachers, researchers and to build the environment of our future. and workshops have started. students to create a think-tank of ideas focused mainly on the digital world. The campus will be a driving force for innovation, an area of project development and experimentation: the ideal place to “think outside the box”.
22 23 SPRING 2016 WWW.CMA-CGM.COM