COVID-19 vaccine could cause boom in cold chain

The cold chain could be about to see a boom after MECOTEC Group launched a complete one-stop solution for the deep-freeze, transport, storage and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, with its first Mobile Hybrid Container.

The news come following Pfizer’s announcement that it had made a major breakthrough in the search for a vaccine.

In a statement, MECOTEC said one container could carry up to 1 million vaccination doses in one standard size container at temperatures down to -80 C/-112 F.

It went on to say that vaccines can be frozen directly at the manufacturer’s facility and the container can be set up anywhere, including as close as possible where the vaccine is produced.

Furthermore, active deep cooling technology ensures safe and controlled transport and storage without the risk of dry ice.

Jan Hüneburg, Managing Director at COOLANT, the industrial division of MECOTEC, said: “The project knowledge that we have gained with the development of the prototype as well as our many years of experience in the field of cooling technology made it possible within a very short time to adapt this deep-freeze facility into a transport, storage and distribution container”.

Managing Director of the MECOTEC Group Enrico Klauer, also commented: “We are pleased that today we can present our Mobile Hybrid Container Solution for the transport and storage of Covid-19-Vaccines and thus make a contribution to a safe and fast supply of the vaccine for people worldwide.

“Since our system is based on an active deep-freezing technology, it does not require dry ice for cooling which makes it also suitable for safe international air transport.”

The cold chain, the part of the supply chain specific to the transportation of cold storage, has been one of the fastest growing areas in container shipping in recent years, driven largely by demand for alternative foods.