CMA CGM is a world leader in shipping and logistics. With a fleet of more than 400,000 TEUs of reefer containers and 300,000 reefer plugs on board of its ships, CMA CGM is the second largest reefer carrier in the world. Reefer containers must constantly be supplied with energy to avoid any break in temperature that would damage transported goods. At quay, reefers are connected to a limited number of electric plugs depending on the port infrastructure. It implies to position containers at a precise location on the terminal, which is not always the best location to optimize their repositioning.
A mobile device that supplies Reefers with renewable energy allows to increase the number of containers on the terminal (import and export), optimize the logistic flows regardless of plug location and respect the environment. As part of the Port of Marseille Smart Port Challenge 2, CMA CGM and the start-up Hélion developed a solution to power reefer containers with a mobile device using renewable energy by combining an hydrogen-powered generator set with a containerized container.
The generator consumes hydrogen and oxygen and produces heat, water and electricity. It is a modular solution, easily transportable, that can power up to 32 refrigerated containers, without any polluting emissions. A resolutely eco-responsible solution that avoids the emission of atmospheric pollutants and several thousand tons of CO2 per port terminal and per year. In addition, a digital tool is also studied to allow remote monitoring of the solution.