Chosen for fuel efficiency and improved refrigerant containment, the new Vector HE 19 units are mounted to 13.6m Gray & Adams trailers and are replacements for competitor systems.
They have joined DFDS’s 122-strong refrigerated trailer fleet in the Shetland Isles, bringing fish from the islands to processing plants on the mainland.
Jack Hodgson, fleet manager for DFDS, says: “Purchasing these units supports our CSR commitment, which aims to dramatically reduce the company’s carbon footprint. A cleaner, more efficient trailer fleet will play a very important role in that process.”
According to the manufacturer, the Vector HE 19 delivers up to 30% fuel savings compared to the previous generation Vector 1950, thanks to its all-electric E-Drive technology and a new multi-speed engine design. The figures have been verified by the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) and the Association Technic Energy Environment (ATEE) partial load fuel burn standards. Also, the oil drain interval for the unit’s engine is twice that of its predecessor.
The Vector HE 19 has a fully hermetic scroll compressor and economiser to deliver a 40% increase in refrigeration capacity during pull-down, while reducing the chance of refrigerant escape by 50%. The system is also 19% more efficient when plugged into the electrical grid on standby.
“These trailers operate very intensive routes and are only ever off the road when undergoing maintenance. The improved fuel savings and refrigerant containment will help with both our environmental credentials and our operating costs, so it was a win-win,” adds Hodgson.
The arrival of the new units follows DFDS’s order of 50 NaturaLine refrigerated container systems from Carrier Transicold late last year. The NaturaLine uses carbon dioxide refrigerant with a global warming potential of 1 – said to be the lowest for any container system refrigerant.