INNOVATION Foldable containers
An idea whose time has come
T
he path forward for the shipping industry to attain a 50 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 as per IMO regulations will not be done with one single, magic solution. Rather, it is more likely that incremental steps and initiatives will allow shippers and shipping lines to reach their goal. So it is that the 4FOLD foldable container from Holland Container Innovations (HCI) is providing a novel solution that not only reduces CO2 but offers a number of additional benefits — more efficient to ship empties back (by a ratio of four to one!), space saving, and faster handling at the terminal. “Unbalanced routes that see a lot of empty containers taking up valuable space waiting to be shipped out really benefit from the 4FOLD,” said Hans Broekhuis, CEO. Given current supply chain issues, the
Given current supply chain issues, the 4FOLD — the world’s first certified foldable 40-foot container — is an idea whose time has come. 4FOLD — the world’s first certified foldable 40-foot container — is an idea whose time has come.
Background
The concept of the foldable container was developed out of the Dutch Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands beginning in 2000 by the founders, under which Mr. Simon Bosschieter was a part. In 2008, Bosschieter and his fellow entrepreneurs formed Holland Container Innovations and worked over the next five years to obtain certifications for its 40-foot container which now include CSC (Container
Folding the 4FOLD is easy, safe, and can be done with traditional terminal equipment. 20 — PACIFIC PORTS — May 2022
Safety Commission), ISO (International Organization for Standardization), UIC (International Union of Railways) and AAR (Association of American Railroads). Certifications were performed by Korean Register (KR), American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), DEKRA, Lloyd’s Register (LR) and the China Classification Society (CCS). Focusing on the most popular container in the market today (40-foot), HCI has continually evolved the main structure and design to create greater and greater efficiencies — the container can now be folded in as little as 10 minutes with standard depot equipment like
