Over the past few years Alaska Marine Lines has phased out its 220-volt reefers and transitioned to more efficient 440-volt units. This involved converting the generators to run on 440 volt power. “The lower amperage draw means that less energy is wasted as heat. These newer units conserve energy while doing their job keeping cargo at controlled temperatures at sea and during the pre-trip process,” says Don Reid, Alaska Marine Lines Vice President of Operations.
In addition, time share plug-ins were added to the electric distribution system for the refrigerated units. "During peak fish season we can run more deep-freeze reefers to accommodate the high volumes without additional generators and associated fuel costs," explains Alaska Marine Lines Equipment Maintenance & Procurement Manager Les Candee.
Alaska Marine Lines is also testing a system to monitor reefer units remotely to ensure consistent temperature when in Alaska Marine Line's care whether it is in a facility or at sea. Currently, the tug slows periodically so crewmembers can climb from the tug to the barge to check reefers manually. “The new system will be much safer for our crewmembers, improve the quality control of our refrigerated freight and has the potential to save tug towage time and fuel,” Don says.
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