UK-based pharma container provider Tower Cold Chain and freight carrier Cathay Cargo have entered a long-term rental agreement, giving users access to a range of temperature-controlled solutions in terms of container size and payload volume. The deal supports Tower Cold Chain’s environmental policy to steadily improve its performance, using products from sustainable sources, minimize wastage and decarbonize its business activities.
Cathay Cargo will utilize the Tower Cold Chain provided transport boxes for shipping temperature sensitive products such as pharmaceuticals, biotech, and life-science items, states the carrier in
a release. They complement the Hong Kong-headquartered carrier’s own portfolio of unit load devices for safely carrying such critical items, including high value products. The boxes are available
in both Euro and U.S. pallet norms, depending on customer requirements. The containers cover payloads ranging from 3075 liters down to 26.4 liters, they thus allow a wide range of applications.
They can be ordered online 24/7 either via the Tower website or through Cathay’s booking service.
Five days of continuous cooling
The supplier says that their passively cooled containers allow for 120 hours of use, enabling 120+ hour protection for products that require an internal temperature of minus 80°Centigrade
(ultracold), -60°C (ultracold), -20°C (frozen), +5°C (refrigerated) and +20°C, the latter corresponding to the normal room temperature. They do not need electricity or human intervention and are
fully reusable.
The partnership with Cathay Cargo is Tower’s first global airline deal, and it marks a new watershed in the company’s own rapidly growing business. “Utilizing phase-change materials (PCMs),
Tower’s patented design technology guarantees safe temperature-controlled transportation without the need for electricity or human intervention, providing the agility, safety and consistency
today’s pharmaceutical supply chains demand, emphasizes the company. The Cathay deal challenges the leading industrial heavyweights DoKaSch (Opticooler) and Envirotainer (RAP / Releye RPL, among
others) that have achieved the market leadership in managing cool ULDs.
Tower runs a global network of stations
A major selling point for Cathay Cargo was that Tower containers are available globally via its network of strategic hubs at major airports in over 70 destinations worldwide, among them New York,
Los Angeles, London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Johannesburg, Singapore, Shanghai, or Madrid. Strangely enough, according to their website, there is no major representation in the Middle East such as
Dubai or Doha, for instance.
Frosti – nomen est omen
“We are delighted to partner with Tower Cold Chain as their advanced passive containers deliver proven physical and temperature protection, across all supply chains. This, coupled with Cathay
Cargo’s vast distribution network will benefit our customers and, ultimately, their patients around the world,” said Frosti Lau, General Manager Cargo Service Delivery, Cathay Cargo.
Safeguarding the product quality through EMS
“This project allows a multitude of customers to lease Tower Cold Chain’s reliable containers directly from Cathay Cargo, providing a robust system for safe and seamless transportation of
temperature sensitive products to patients on time and on budget. We look forward to working together to transport time-critical and temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals around the world on our
global network,” noted Niall Balfour, CEO of Tower Cold Chain.
To ensure that Tower’s temperature-controlled systems are robust, reliable and reusable, as claimed by the supplier, it has implemented an Environmental Management System (EMS) aligned to
the requirements of the International standard ISO 14001:2015.
Heiner Siegmund / Gerton Hulsman
We welcome and publish comments from all authenticated users.
Write a comment