Reefer diesel vessels transport refrigerated containers, that plug into their electricity grids powered by generators. We believe they will run all their systems on stored energy someday, but cold shipping with batteries has not taken off. But there is a stirring in the background we know of. We report on a disruptive startup that wants to kick start the idea.
Cold Shipping With Batteries Begins With Forest Fires
Tech Crunch shares how folk in Florida lose their electricity during wildfire season when grids shut down strategically. Their refrigerators can’t stay cold indefinitely, and they may not be able to afford a generator.
Our focus for today already had experience supplying batteries to fresh food retailers. Then she wondered what else she could do, and imagined cold shipping with batteries across oceans.
But batteries had not evolved to the point that they could this, and they still have a way to go. Tech Crunch tipped us off about the Artyc website, which is further evidence that a hike over mountains begins with the first steps.
Electric batteries started by doing small things like powering bicycle headlights. That way, our parents and grandparents could ride safely to school on dark winter mornings. The lady decided to take the hint, and begin her journey with small consignments.
The Future Launches With the Seed of an Idea
In this particular instance, cold shipping with batteries begins with a cube small enough to hold in your hands. This contains whatever you want to stay cool, plus a mechanism to keep it that way. The bare bones are:
- A USB-C port to charge a lithium-ion battery inside.
- A solid state heat pump that keeps contents cool.
- That heat pump can also keep the contents warm.
So there you have it, a solution, with a battery in a box that could be just the trick for a medical courier. We look forward to seeing big batteries cooling containers on reefer vessels some day, but we will have to be patient for a while longer.
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Powering Large Container Ships with Batteries
