Safeguarding High-Value Cargo in Small Packages
Transporting valuable products such as medicines and vaccines always comes with inherent risks, especially when dealing with Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) high-value bulk or drug substance as some pharma companies call them, that are particularly sensitive to temperature excursions and more and more shock and vibration.
SkyCell has successfully completed its inaugural shipment in collaboration with its strategic new partner, Cathay Pacific. Kuehne + Nagel played a crucial role as an integral partner in this successful delivery. The shipment, originating in Dublin, Ireland, was destined for Penang, Malaysia, with transit via Hong Kong.
The shipment involved the transportation of an extremely valuable API that was categorized as a Dangerous Good. Given the substantial two-year lead time to procure the substance, there was no room for mistakes when it came to the shipment’s delivery, underscoring the critical importance of flawless execution.
To execute this challenging shipment, Cathay Pacific executed an airline lease of a 1500X hybrid container for a seven-day period in the +2°C to +8°C temperature configuration. The container was equipped with the cutting-edge SECURE platform, offering risk assessment and real-time monitoring. This advanced technology provided reassurance and peace of mind throughout the entire duration of the journey, as depicted in the accompanying graphic below.
The lane spanned from Dublin, Ireland to Penang, Malaysia. The shipment involved truck transportation from Dublin Airport (DUB) to Heathrow Airport (LHR) in London. From LHR, the shipment embarked on its first flight to Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), followed by a second flight from HKG to the final destination of Penang (PEN).
Hong Kong, known for its high humidity, and Penang, characterized by its high temperatures, created a demanding environment for the successful transportation of the shipment.
Despite facing a wide ambient temperature variation from a low of +3.1°C to a scorching +45.9°C upon arrival at PEN airport, the 1500X container constantly maintained the internal temperature within the expected range of +2°C to +8°C at all times. SkyCell’s Hybrid container technology is engineered to transport from cold to hot (and humid) and vice versa. Shielding the container’s contents from extreme ambient temperatures ensured the safe arrival of the shipment in PEN, where it was promptly delivered to the end customer.
At SkyCell, we believe that no shipment, regardless of size and value, should receive less attention or care. By leveraging the advanced features of the 1500X container, and with the collaborative efforts of our strategic partners, Cathay Pacific and Kuehne + Nagel, we were able to deliver high-value temperature-sensitive API and help to save CO2 in the process, of more than 12 tons of, delivering on the ‘triple bottom line‘ – good for patients, good for our partners, and good for the planet.
We are excited about the prospects of future shipments with our strategic partners and look forward to building upon this accomplishment.