In an interview with the AJOT, Edward Dryden, President, Refrigeration, for Carrier Global outlined some of the challenges the cool chain faces and some of the solutions underway.
The global cold chain is in a phase of rapid changes and immense challenges that present an open window of opportunity for collaboration and innovation.
“We are accelerating the shift toward electrification, more connected technologies and environmentally responsible refrigerants,” Dryden said. “We are on track to help our customers avoid more than one gigaton in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.” Adding, “Together we can build a more sustainable, efficient, and resilient cold chain that benefits our communities, protects our planet and ensures the safe delivery of essential goods,” he said. “Discussions at forums like this are just the beginning. Our progress depends on the actions we take afterwards.”
The World Cold Chain Symposium is an international conference organized by The Global Food Cold Chain Council (GFCCC) in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
New Products and Challenges
The American Journal of Transportation had an opportunity to interview Dryden after the Symposium, and he touched on several issues including new products, expansion and the company’s “Road Map to Net Zero.” Carrier Refrigeration’s brands include Carrier Transicold, a transport refrigeration equipment provider, and Sensitech which specializes in monitoring and tracking solutions.
Dryden said it is clear technology is a primary driver within cold chain growth. For example, he said Carrier’s Lynx digital platform, developed in collaboration with AWS, applies advanced IoT, machine learning and analytics technology to connect the cold chain end to end.
“Capabilities within Lynx Fleet have saved truck and trailer customers hundreds of thousands of dollars in load loss claims and enabled the recovery of multiple stolen trailers, preventing cargo and equipment theft,” he said. “Lynx Fleet is also positively impacting shipping. More than 70,000 refrigerated container assets across major shipping lines are enabling our customers use Lynx Fleet’s API to populate their customer portals and dashboards and offer transparency of cargo and asset utilization.”
Carrier will soon launch Lynx FacTOR, an innovative software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution that the company is betting will transform pharmaceutical product release decision-making. Lynx FacTOR automates the process of evaluating batch integrity, reducing manual work and expediting the movement of products in the cold chain.
“Pharmaceutical companies face numerous challenges in ensuring product integrity throughout the distribution journey,” Dryden said. “The current methods can be tedious, involving manual entry of excursion events, and maintaining compliance is both complex and labor-intensive, costing companies potentially millions annually in manual labor inefficiencies.”
“Lynx FacTOR tackles these issues head-on by offering a single source of truth throughout the pharmaceutical distribution lifecycle. This device-agnostic solution automatically evaluates product viability at the batch level, reducing assessment times from days to minutes.”
Net Zero – Electrification is the Key
Carrier’s Road Map to Net Zero is an overarching strategy initiated by the company to transform its portfolio through electrification, integration and resilience. New products innovations are part of the foundation.
“Our new version of the Vector HE 19 trailer refrigeration unit features a new low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerant, and it is compatible with B100 biofuel. The solution delivers a total minimum reduction of 73% in CO2 emissions over a year of use. The new Vector HE 19 version made its commercial debut earlier this year in France with two long-standing Carrier Transicold customers,” Dryden said.
Dryden said electrification is “the future of the cold chain industry.”
“The need to transition from diesel-powered transport refrigeration units (TRUs) to electric solutions is clear,” he said. “Environmental regulations and customer demand for sustainable practices are driving this transformation.”
“Electrification has been continuously growing in the passenger car industry for years and is now significantly evolving in the truck industry, including electric TRUs,” Dryden continued. “Carrier is fully embracing and acting upon this transformation and is proud to offer an electric solution for 100% of our vehicle ranges.”
“Electric units, such as Carrier Transicold’s eCool series, can significantly reduce fuel costs compared to diesel-powered units. Over time, this can lead to substantial savings, especially as fuel prices fluctuate,” he said. “Electric TRUs help companies comply with emissions regulations, avoiding fines and potential operational disruptions.”
“Switching to electric TRUs can help customers achieve their sustainability goals while maximizing their operational efficiency and product quality. In addition, electric TRUs often require less maintenance than their diesel counterparts,” he said.
Dryden said the expansion of the global middle class will continue to fuel the need for an efficient, comprehensive end to end cold chain.
“As the global middle class expands and urbanization continues, there is an increasing demand for fresh and high-quality perishable goods. Global development is also creating a greater need for reliable cold chains to support international trade. The global trade of perishable goods, such as fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and seafood, is on the rise. Consumers are increasingly demanding a wider variety of fresh and exotic foods year-round, which necessitates the use of refrigerated containers to maintain specific temperatures and prevent spoilage,” he said.
“The life sciences sector, including pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, requires precise temperature control and monitoring for the transport of sensitive products. Recent world events, such as COVID-19 and geopolitical disruptions, have shown that supply chain disruptions can no longer be considered rare events,” Dryden said. “At the same time, new biopharma developments, including personalize cell and gene therapies, and evolving distribution models, like decentralized clinical trials and direct-to-patient distribution, have elevated the importance of strict temperature compliance, product visibility, and effective supply chain risk management for pharmaceutical companies.”
Training Programs
But Carrier is aware of the need for cold chain improvement and training in developing countries where food loss is a very real problem.
“Effective cold chains are critical in developing countries. According to the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization, about a third of the food produced globally each year goes to waste, while approximately 800 million people suffer from hunger. These food losses, from production to consumption, affect emerging countries due to a lack of infrastructure needed for proper preservation,” he said.
“Carrier, along with other leading organizations, agreed to work with United Nations World Food Programme to build a world-class Transport Training Center in Accra, Ghana, aimed at enhancing transport and logistics capacities across the region, enabling efficient delivery of essential goods like food and medicine,” Dryden said. “Since 2023, the Transport Training Center has trained more than 370 participants from 21 countries and more than 35% of the participants are women. Collaborations like this help improve health outcomes, reduce hunger and lower carbon emissions.”
