Seatrade Group has announced the establishment of a new cooperative agreement with the Alfa Reefer Pool, currently under the commercial management of FSC Frigoship Chartering in Germany, effective 1 May 2010.
By bringing together the vessels in their respective fleets, the two companies hope to achieve savings from the joint operation of some 80 refrigerated cargo vessels in the range of 140,000-356,000 cubic feet, maintaining the ability to provide competitive and commercially attractive specialised refrigerated cargo services in the face of increased competition from reefer containers.
As a result of the cooperation, the groups' vessels will operate in the new Hamburg Reefer Pool, with all commercial activities handled independently by the newly established HRC Hamburg Reefer Chartering GmbH.
Hamburg Reefer Chartering will be in a position to optimise scheduling, improve utilisation, availability and quality of tonnage and improve efficiencies, with the size and configuration of the vessels offering flexibility in both speed and capacity.
'This cooperation is a further step in the consolidation and restructuring that has been taking place throughout the shipping industry, including the reefer industry, over the past decade,' the groups said in a joint statement.
