Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 22, 2025

These containers used to ship fresh tuna. Now they'll deliver Covid-19 vaccines

These containers used to ship fresh tuna. Now they'll deliver Covid-19 vaccines

It's one of the biggest logistical challenges in modern history: How will millions of Covid-19 vaccine doses that must be kept at incredibly cold temperatures be quickly shipped across continents and oceans?

One company is using its experience with tuna as a guide.

Thermo King — which revolutionized the transportation of food through advances in temperature-controlled shipping before World War II — is working with pharmaceutical companies, governments and logistics firms to ensure vaccines are preserved as they travel to clinics and hospitals. To make this happen, they've reworked containers typically used to transport fresh tuna to Japan, which requires similar frigid conditions.

"We took that product and we amended it," Francesco Incalza, president Thermo King Europe, Middle East and Africa, told CNN Business.

Tuna must be stored at -60 degrees Celsius, or -76 degrees Fahrenheit, to maintain its quality and deep red hue when it reaches supermarkets and restaurants, Incalza said. The coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer (PFE) and BioNTech has to be stored at -70 degrees Celsius, or -94 degrees Fahrenheit, while in transit.

So Thermo King, which is part of Ireland-based Trane Technologies, made some tweaks, adding additional insulation and adjusting the refrigeration system so it could get even colder. Now, each 20-foot-long container can carry 300,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine — the first to be approved for use by Western countries following rigorous testing — by land or sea. Some have already been sold and are making their way around the globe.

Incalza said this kind of innovation would normally take years to develop.

Calling all freezers


Pharmaceutical products generally need to be kept at a cool 2 to 8 degrees Celsius, or roughly 36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit, during transport. But Pfizer's vaccine is different.

It's the first time a vaccine has been approved that uses mRNA technology, which involves transmitting instructions for the body to begin producing part of
the coronavirus. That, in turn, triggers an immune response. The US Food and Drug Administration authorized the Pfizer vaccine for emergency use on Friday. The United Kingdom began giving citizens the vaccine on Tuesday, while Canada greenlit its use on Wednesday.

Another vaccine produced by Moderna (MRNA), which also uses mRNA technology, could also be approved by governments in the coming weeks. It can be kept at -20 degrees Celsius, or about -4 degrees Fahrenheit.

Supply chain experts say that keeping mRNA vaccines sufficiently cold is one of the chief issues in distributing vaccines around the world and bringing an end to the pandemic. But they think it's possible, given the sophistication of the so-called "cold chain," which has for decades shepherded food and drugs around the world at specific temperatures.

"It needs to be very carefully planned and executed," said Burak Kazaz, a professor of supply chain management at Syracuse University. "That's not to say it cannot be done, but we have to be very careful about it."


The Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine could be approved for emergency use in the United States shortly.


The technology doesn't come cheap. Imperial College in London notes much of the expense of vaccination programs comes from cold chain requirements, which can account for up to 80% of overall costs.

But the framework for moving sensitive, temperature-controlled goods around the world is there, according to Tom Jackson, author of the book "Chilled:

How Refrigeration Changed the World and Might Do So Again."

"If we get the temperatures right, we can take anything anywhere and store it for as long as we want," Jackson said.

That's in part thanks to Thermo King founders Frederick McKinley Jones and Joseph Numero, according to Jackson. In his book, he writes that Jones developed a more effective refrigerated unit that could be carried by a truck after a golf buddy complained to Numero, his business partner, about a spoiled shipment of chickens during a round in 1938.

According to the US Department of Transportation, the company grew "exponentially" during World War II, when its technology was used to help preserve blood, medicine and food.

The two men were posthumously awarded the National Medal of Technology by President George H.W. Bush in 1991. Jones was the first Black person to receive the honor.

From tuna to vaccines


A generation later, Thermo King has a role to play in handling another crisis.

In October, Trane Technologies President David Regnery told analysts that the company had developed a mobile freezer with 60 times the capacity of what was previously on the market for pharmaceuticals. He was referring to the retrofitted tuna unit.

The new product, which had been developed in consultation with drugmakers, was a "big opportunity for Thermo King," he said.

Trane Technologies, which also sells heating and cooling systems for buildings and homes, will provide an update to investors on Monday. Shares, which trade in New York, are up 35% this year.

Anticipating a spike in demand, Thermo King began ramping up production of its new units at a facility in China a few months ago, according to Incalza. He sees the initial distribution of shots at the end of this year as part of a crucial trial run ahead of a massive distribution mandate in 2021.

"When it comes up to spring, we are talking about billions and billions of doses to be distributed," he said.

The new units could also prove useful well beyond the pandemic, Incalza noted, given the rise of gene therapies and other biopharmaceuticals. Those will require movement and storage in extremely cold temperatures, too.

"More and more products will need to be transported at these ultra-low temperatures, so it is opening a new market for this kind of equipment," he said.

There are big challenges, however — including how to deliver vaccines to less developed regions that lack the same degree of refrigeration infrastructure.

Incalza said that in places like this, Thermo King hopes to deploy smaller "cold cubes" that can reach -30 degrees Celsius, or -22 degrees Fahrenheit, for the Moderna vaccine and other candidates, since they'd be easier to carry over final distances.

Security is also a concern. Earlier this month, IBM (IBM) said it found that hackers had been targeting key actors in cold chain, and that the effort had "the hallmarks of a state-sponsored attack." Companies that make up the cold chain say their products are secure and don't view hacks as a major threat.

While the distribution of vaccines will be a daunting task, Michael Berg, CEO of Envirotainer — a Swedish company that specializes in temperature-controlled air transport of pharmaceuticals — thinks the cold chain industry is up to it.

"It's going to require a lot of planning [and] it's going to require everybody to bump up their fleet capacity," Berg said. "But all this is happening now."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Black Box Recovered from Air India Crash Site
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Syria to Reconnect to Global Economy After 14 Years of Isolation
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Global News Roundup: From Ukraine's strategic military strikes and Russia's demands and Tensions Escalate in Ukraine, to serious legal issues faced by Britons in Bali and Trump's media criticism, the latest developments highlight a turbulent landscape
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
×