Unikai to become centre of excellence for exports to Oceania
Unikai Lagerei- und Speditionsgesellschaft mbH, a subsidiary of Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA), has developed a worldwide unique technology for preparing vehicles for pest-free export to Australia and New Zealand. The process involves converting 40-foot reefer containers into heating containers – a flexible, mobile and ecologically sound solution that is also attracting great interest outside Hamburg.
This innovation is the company’s respond to the brown marmorated stink bug. This insect, which originated in East Asia, has made its way via North America to Southern Europe, where it has already caused considerable damage. In Italy alone, this type of stink bug has destroyed up to 40 percent of the kiwi harvest in recent years. Concerned that the introduction of this bug may have a similar impact on their agriculture, countries such as Australia and New Zealand are determined to keep this pest out at all costs.
Since 1 September, export goods from Germany headed for Australia and New Zealand must be specially prepared, i.e. either gas- or heat-treated. This includes all vehicles that the Hamburg multi-purpose terminal Unikai send Down Under.
Unikai currently has 28 40-foot heating containers on site. Around 1,500 to 2,000 vehicles are heat-treated before each transhipment. “We treated around 16,000 vehicles for customers in Oceania using this system in Hamburg in the first season,” explains Wolberg. And more heat containers can be added if necessary.
As Unikai is registered with the governments of Australia and New Zealand as a certified company, this intelligent system, which has also been registered at the patent office, is gaining considerable attraction. Wolberg is convinced that vehicle exporters from Japan, the US and even France could apply this system. Other logistics providers have also taken an interest in this system because export goods such as machinery also have to be treated against the little pest.
Double containers that can house larger items are already available. Since November of this year, the HHLA subsidiary also has a warehouse that has been approved by the authorities for goods that need to be treated with gas rather than heat. “We intend to develop the service portfolio for our customers further, making Unikai a centre of excellence for exporting goods to Oceania,” explains Wolberg.
