General Information
Organisation behind ATO certification
The ATO certification program for reefer containers is executed by the multidisciplinary R&D organisation Food & Biobased Research, part of Wageningen University & Research. Its site www.reefertransport.nl is merely dedicated to the ATO-certification program. Visit www.climatecontrol.wur.nl for an overview of its activities in the field of climate control in the cold chain. Esp. the refrigerated transport pages are of interest to those involved in the reefer industry.Objective of ATO certification
The purpose of ATO certification of reefer containers by Wageningen UR Food & Biobased Research is to improve the quality preservation of flower bulbs during shipment by means of classifying the suitability of reefer containers for the transportation of flower bulbs. ATO certification primarily serves the interests of flower bulb shippers, as it supports them in serving their customers optimally.For flower bulb shippers shipment in ATO-certified reefer containers is a prerequisite for getting a transport insurance.
For container owners, ATO certification of their reefer containers means a chance of getting more cargo.
Minimum requirements for full ATO certification
An ATO-certified reefer container with the qualification 'good' has met the following minimum requirements:- Air ventilation of empty container (at 380V/50Hz) at least 2.6 m3/h per m3 internal container volume.
- Air circulation inside empty container (at 380V/50Hz) at least 40 m3/h per m3 internal container volume.
- Height T-bars in 40 ft. containers at least 60 mm, in 20 ft. containers at least 30 mm.
- Four drainholes in the corners.
The two possible procedures for getting your reefer containers ATO-certified
PROCEDURE A (most common for new containers):Arrange that an approved classification society (e.g. ABS or Bureau Veritas) witnesses the ATO-tests on your new-built containers at the container manufacturing site. The classification society will submit the test results to our website. We check whether the received information meets the ATO-standards and, depending on the outcome, issue the ATO-certificates to:
- Commissioning company (Box Manufacturer or Owner)
- Anthos, the Royal Trade Association for Nurserystock and Flowerbulbs in The Netherlands
- The classification society that witnessed the test
Request us to perform the ATO-tests on your containers. We usually perform the ATO-tests in Rotterdam or Antwerp. If the test result meet the ATO-standards we issue the ATO-certificates to:
- Commissioning company (Box Manufacturer or Owner)
- Anthos, the Royal Trade Association for Nurserystock and Flowerbulbs in The Netherlands
For more details see our Explanatory notes to the ATO-certification of reefer containers
