Edited by Eamonn Ryan
The following presentation (in his own words) was delivered at the 2024 Cold Chain Refrigeration, Logistics and Technology Summit in Cape Town, by Eckart Zollner, business development, Ikhaya Automation Systems on the topic ‘Net zero cold chain management. This is Part 1 of a three-part series.
By way of introduction, he immigrated to South Africa in 1982. After completing his matric at a German school in Cape Town, he served in the German navy and later pursued a National Higher Diploma in Electrical Engineering at Cape Peninsula University.
“Today, I want to discuss net-zero carbon cold chain management, an increasingly important topic. Some of you may be aware that South Africa introduced the carbon tax phase one a few years ago under the current Tax Act, which remains lenient with numerous allowances and a high reporting threshold. However, phase two of the Carbon Tax Act, effective January 2026, is expected to tighten these allowances and thresholds,” says Zollner.
“As mentioned earlier, the cold chain currently accounts for 2.5% of global emissions, and this figure is poised to rise. Globally, there are few countries with fully functional cold chains; most food production occurs in developing and emerging markets. The criticality of maintaining a controlled cold chain for food transport and preservation is increasingly recognized, amplifying the urgency for effective net-zero cold chain management.
“Given the complexity of cold chains—from sourcing to consumption involving multiple stakeholders, transportation, storage at various stages, and retail environments—effective management is challenging. These environments are often disparate and managed by different entities, making it difficult to control and gain a comprehensive overview.
“Therefore, leveraging technology, systems, and streamlined processes that facilitate seamless data transfer across stages and enable unified views is crucial. This approach is pivotal in navigating the complexities of modern cold chain logistics.
“We have identified a couple of basic emission sources in our cold chain operations. Firstly, there are indirect emissions, such as leaks from refrigeration units, emissions from refrigerant filling and disposal stations, and even refrigerant evaporation. These indirect emissions are reported and accounted for. Additionally, there are direct emissions, primarily from engines—diesel engines and other types used in transport and refrigeration processes,” says Zollner.