Mini containers to improve the cold chain energy efficiency and carbon footprint
| dc.contributor.author | Syam, Mahmmoud Muhammed | |
| dc.contributor.author | Cabrera-Calderon, Samantha | |
| dc.contributor.author | Vijayan, Kishorre Annanth | |
| dc.contributor.author | Balaji, Vignesh | |
| dc.contributor.author | ETAL.. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-12-08T05:13:19Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-12-08T05:13:19Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2022-05-23 | |
| dc.description | As the population expands, to meet the growing demand, food production must broaden and has to move smoothly from the producers to the consumers. One approach to reduce transportation, waste, and inventory costs along with end-product prices while elevating net profits is investigating and improving each production–consumption process [1]. Hence, to lower costs and deliver food to consumption sites effectively, the cold supply chain concept can be implemented. A temperature-controlled supply chain is a logistics and supply system that consists of a sequence of facilities for sustaining optimum conditions for goods within a specified range of temperatures, from the point of origin to the point of utilization [2]. In short, the series of refrigeration steps along the supply chain that are followed to keep perishable foods in the given temperature range is referred to as the cold chain. | |
| dc.description.abstract | The cold chain—the system of refrigerated storage and transport that provides fresh produce or other essentials to be maintained at desired temperatures and environmental conditions—is responsible for substantial energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and failures in the cold chain lead to food and energy waste. Here, we introduce the mini container concept as an alternative to conventional reefers, particularly for small growers. Mini containers are relatively small, insulated boxes, with environmental conditions controlled by an electric-powered central driving unit, which can be aggregated as needed and transported by non-refrigerated trucks and trailers. We analyze the energy consumption and GHG emissions for the transport of tomatoes in two cities representing contrasting climates, Phoenix, Arizona, and Chicago, Illinois, for conventional reefers and the proposed mini containers. These two cities provide the opportunity to compare the energy consumption and GHG emissions for the proposed mini containers versus conventional refrigerated transport under extremely different climate conditions. The results show that, as expected in both cases, as the ambient air temperature increases, the energy consumption and GHG emissions also increase. For partial reefer loads less than 72% and 85% for Phoenix and Chicago, respectively, the use of the mini containers reduces energy consumption and GHG emissions because of the reduced volume requiring refrigeration. In general, since the mini containers are fully electrified, their corresponding GHG emissions can be dramatically reduced, and since the fresh produce can be pre-cooled with renewable energy, GHG emissions can even be eliminated. Keywords Cold Chain, Carbon Footprint, Energy Efficiency, Fresh Produce, Tomatoes | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Syam, M. M., Cabrera-Calderon, S., Vijayan, K. A., Balaji, V., Phelan, P. E., & Villalobos, J. R. (2022). Mini containers to improve the cold chain energy efficiency and carbon footprint. Climate, 10(5), 76. | |
| dc.identifier.doi | https://doi.org/10.3390/cli10050076 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://repository.adu.ac.ae/handle/1/7839 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | MDPI | |
| dc.title | Mini containers to improve the cold chain energy efficiency and carbon footprint | |
| dc.type | Article |