Kloosterboer installing ‘ultramodern’ intermodal reefer terminal

Temperature-controlled logistics services provider Kloosterboer, headquartered in Rotterdam, Netherlands, says it is investing in a new automated, sustainable refrigerated container terminal.

The new terminal, dubbed the Kloosterboer Container Terminal-Vlissingen, initially will feature 1,020 reefer plugs and process 250,000 intermodal containers annually, the company said. The facility is expected to begin operating by mid-2020.

Kloosterboer said the number of reefer plugs is unique to the new terminal, which initially will be capable of supplying 1,020 reefer containers, mostly filled with foodstuffs, with electricity to keep them at the correct temperature. The terminal is equipped with four automated, electrically driven Rubber Tired Gantry (RTG) cranes, the company said.

The cranes guarantee a high storage capacity and reduce the number of reach stackers at the terminal, reducing CO2 emissions by 800,000 kilograms, the company maintained. Kloosterboer is the first container terminal to use this type of automatic crane. The “ultramodern” container terminal also is equipped with automatic unmanned gates. The CargoCard is used to gain access to the container terminal, and allows drivers to register and identify themselves.

In addition, Kloosterboer is deploying new software for “smart interactions” between systems, helping determine the most efficient storage and handling of containers according to certain algorithms. The containers are remotely monitored 24/7 for operation and settings, such as temperature.

“Thanks to the combination of a multi-modally accessible terminal and the nearby cold stores and freezers, Kloosterboer Vlissingen is able to immediately unload and load the incoming containers in the cold store and to continue loading transport by truck or barge,” the company said. “This means that Kloosterboer has everything in their own hands and is therefore a one-stop shop for the customer.”

The new terminal also will allow for future expansion of storage capacity up to 1,600 reefer plugs, making it possible to handle 400,000 intermodal containers on an annual basis, Kloosterboer said.