The reefer industry must transition to climate-friendly refrigeration technologies immediately due to the alarming environmental impact of outdated refrigerants. Direct emissions from refrigerant leakage and indirect emissions from energy consumption are driving the sector’s carbon footprint to dangerous levels. Without swift action, the industry will fail to meet critical global climate targets, including the Paris Agreement and the IMO’s 2023 Strategy for GHG Reduction.
Refrigerated maritime containers, essential for transporting temperature-sensitive goods, rely heavily on harmful HFC refrigerants like R134a and R404A, which have high global warming potentials. One potential refrigerant, which is highly used in the mobile air-conditioning sector, is the HFO R1234yf, which breaks-down to “forever chemicals” PFAS. These substances accelerate climate change, with reefer refrigerants leaking at rates as high as 25%, releasing millions of tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions annually.
The transition to sustainable refrigeration technologies, such as CO₂ (R744) and propane (R290), is a necessity. These natural refrigerants offer a cleaner, more sustainable future and align with the latest regulatory frameworks.
The path forward: scaling up R290 adoption
The adoption of propane (R290) in reefer containers is a game-changing opportunity to decarbonise the sector. However, its adoption is hindered by a complex interplay of technical, regulatory, and market challenges, including safety concerns, infrastructure compatibility, and limited financial incentives. To address these barriers, the sector must act decisively and at scale.
A successful transition requires:
- Technology development and deployment – Accelerating prototype testing and integrating energy-efficient designs.
- Stronger regulations and policy support – Global and national regulatory frameworks must incentivise the shift to sustainable refrigerants.
- Capacity building – Training technicians and raising awareness among key industry players, including shipping companies and regulatory bodies.
- Financial mobilisation and partnerships – Leveraging carbon markets, government incentives, and public–private partnerships to reduce the financial burden and foster collaboration across sectors.
To achieve the 1.5°C target set by the Paris Agreement and remain competitive in a market shifting towards sustainability, the transition to Greener Reefers is imperative for a cleaner, more competitive industry. The white paper for immediate steps for a sustainable future “Accelerating the transition to climate and environmentally friendly reefers” presents detailed emissions models, highlighting the stark difference between decisive action and inaction, and emphasizes the need to transition to natural refrigerants. The adoption of R290 in reefer containers is a game-changing opportunity to decarbonize the sector.
The jointly developed publication by the Kuehne Climate Center (opens in a new window) and the GIZ implemented project Greener Reefers thanks to all contributions by the shipping and container industry to sharpen the content and providing insights to the maritime freight transport and logistics. The Greener Reefers (opens in a new window) project is financed through the International Climate Initiative by German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV).