The Suez Canal Blockage And The Importance Of Container Desiccants

28 Apr The Suez Canal Blockage And The Importance Of Container Desiccants

The Suez Canal blockage was an absolute disaster that caused a momentous amount of chaos. One could not foresee such an event taking place, but it did. Damage control then became the order of the day as many scurried around trying to rectify the wrongs. From our perspective, it cast a very bright light on the importance of cargo moisture control and container desiccants. Without proper moisture control in place, cargo can become severely damaged in unforeseen situations like this.

What Went Wrong With The Suez Canal Blockage?

The Ever Given became grounded in the Suez Canal on Tuesday the 23^rd of March 2021. It caused a traffic jam of similar vessels within 24 hours, backing up in both directions as the Ever Given blocked north and southbound channels. A massive vessel at 220,000 tons, the Ever Given apparently shifted off course due to strong 40-knot winds and a sandstorm.

It was six days before it was dislodged, and now weeks later, it is still being held in a lake between two stretches of the canal with its 18,600 containers still on board.

Cargo Moisture Control And Protection

With 18,600 containers on board, it’s safe to assume there are a number of different types of cargo that can become damaged in extreme conditions. The Suez Canal is in the middle of the desert, which means that temperatures rise and fall to extremes with day and night. This causes what we call container rain as moisture builds up on the inside of the containers. Basically, the containers start to sweat.

Without proper cargo moisture control or container desiccants there is a very good chance that much of those 18,600 containers will have damaged cargo once it gets to its destination.

What Are Your Options For Container Desiccants And Cargo Moisture Control?

If you’re unsure of what your options are in terms of container desiccants and cargo moisture control, we are here to support you. Rather err on the side of caution and ensure that your cargo contents are protected under all circumstances.

• Cargo desiccants come in a variety of types. Our options include:
  • Primary desiccants
  • Container desiccants
• Cargo moisture Control is also available for specialized agricultural products including the following:
  • Ventilated pallet wrap
  • RAFT agriculture cargo cooling products
  • Cargo data loggers to monitor temperatures and ethylene absorption filters
  • Complete controlled atmosphere systems

If you’re unsure of what you need to support your needs, get in touch with us and we will help you find the moisture control solution that works for you.

Alternatively, you can get a quote here and get started straight away.