MECOTEC Group from Germany delivers High-Tech Container MCF-8 for the transport and safe deep freeze cold storage at -20°C (-4°F) to - 80°C (-112°F) for Covid-19 Vaccines to the Philippines

Presentation of the first mobile hybrid container MCF-8 in the presence of the Minister for Economics, Science and Digitization of the State of Saxony-Anhalt, Prof. Dr. Armin Willingmann, and the Deputy Ambassador Chief of Mission Ms. Lillibeth V. Pono of the Philippines in Germany
• MCF-8 Container offers space for around half a million Covid-19 vaccination doses
• MECOTEC, as a pioneer in this field, has already installed a stationary cooling chamber for Biontech´s Covid-19 vaccines

Bitterfeld-Wolfen, March 25th, 2021 - “The pandemic will only be fought when all people worldwide have received a Covid-19 vaccination. It is therefore important that we look at those countries that are still at the beginning of their vaccination campaigns, which are facing completely different challenges than we do in Germany due to their geographical and climate conditions. The Philippines with a population of around 100 million people is spread across almost 900 inhabited islands which make it necessary to come up with innovative solutions with regards to the storage and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines and we are therefore pleased that we can contribute to fighting the pandemic in this country with our container solution, the MCF-8," says Enrico Klauer, Managing Director of MECOTEC GmbH at today's presentation of the container at the company's headquarters in Bitterfeld-Wolfen. The event was attended by the Minister for Economics, Science and Digitization of the State of Saxony-Anhalt, Prof. Dr. Armin Willingmann as well as the Deputy Ambassador Chief of Mission Ms Lillibeth V. Pono of the Philippines in Germany and Marc Pappert, the Authorized Signatory & Head of Investment Services for the State of Saxony-Anhalt.

“The mobile hybrid container will be delivered to the Philippines in April. This solution will be the first of its kind in Southeast Asia. Due to the need to store vaccines in a large scale, further orders are expected from this region, says Deenad Sundramurthy, Business Development Director for MECOTEC Asia Ptd. Ltd., a subsidiary of MECOTEC GmbH based in Singapore. "MECOTEC has once again shown itself to be the market leader for industrial solutions at extremely low cooling temperatures." In the Philippines, the container is offered through the partner company Deutsche Motorgeraete Inc. (DMI) together with MECOTEC.

The Ambassador of the Philippines in Germany, Ms. Maria Theresa Dizon-de-Vega explains: “For a sprawling archipelago like the Philippines, cold storage and transport has always been needed for supply chains. With potentially life-saving COVID vaccines' ultra-cooling requirements, this requirement has been raised to a whole new level, and we are happy that a German company like MECOTEC is helping to fill that need.”

“We are pleased that with MECOTEC we have a company in Saxony-Anhalt that is particularly impressive with its innovative strength. There is not a second container in the world as the one that we see here today - it embodies high-tech Made in Germany, and even more: Made in Saxony-Anhalt. This example shows the great things that can evolve when German engineering is thought further and taken to the next level,” said the Minister for Economics, Science and Digitization of the State of Saxony-Anhalt, Prof. Dr. Armin Willingmann. In his remarks he was referring to the development history of the container idea, which began in autumn last year when MECOTEC was given the order to develop a deep freeze cooling chamber for the deep freeze cooling of Biontech vaccines at temperatures as low as -80°C. At that time the question was raised how the vaccines can be transported from the production facility to the distribution centers at -80°C.

"Today we can see the result here in Bitterfeld-Wolfen and it is impressive at which speed this solution was developed from scratch," the minister continued. “I am particularly pleased to see that the company continues to grow and that the number of employees worldwide is to be doubled over the next five years.”

“We are proud that we can offer flexible solutions based on our more than 20 years of experience in the field of industrial deep-freezing, which cover the entire logistics chain, from deep-freezing of the vaccines immediately after its production to the withdrawal at the distribution center,” said Klauer during his presentation.

"The MCF-8 20’ Container has been developed for the safe transport, storage and easy withdrawal of deep-frozen goods, such as mRNA, Sputnik, Astra Zeneca or Sinovac vaccines, that require permanent cooling at temperatures as low as -20°C to -80°C. With a capacity of around half a million vaccination doses that can be stored at constant temperatures of up to -80°C and a 100% redundant power supply, this high-tech container can be operated for 24 hours without an additional external power source and without having to refuel the built-in diesel generator. Neither dry ice nor the addition of cooling batteries is required, which represents a significant gain in safety compared to other concepts,” says Jan Hüneburg, Managing Director of the COOLANT industrial division in the MECOTEC Group.

The deep cold store unit is supplied by high-performance cooling units at both sides. In the front work area the temperature is -20°C, so that working under the regulations with cold protection clothing is possible. At the MCF-8, the vaccine is stored in packaging in a total of six hatch cabinets and can be withdrawn individually. In general, this solution is particularly suitable for locations where large quantities of vaccines have to be stored. A GPS-based monitoring system ensures that the container is safely monitored.

About MECOTEC

MECOTEC GmbH, based in Saxony-Anhalt, was founded in 2000. It is known as an industrial refrigeration specialist and world market leader in electric cold chambers for the fields of medicine, sports and wellness. More than 500 of these cold chambers have already been installed worldwide, in spa areas of upscale hotels, in clinics and in sports facilities, such as in the German national soccer league, NFL stadiums in the US and others.
In 2020 the company took over the refrigeration system developer COOLANT (based in Mülsen / Saxony) in order to consolidate its technological leadership for special applications in refrigeration technology. COOLANT specializes in the development and manufacture of energy-optimized deep cooling systems in the industrial sector.

MECOTEC works with leading pharmaceutical manufacturers and hospitals in the field of ultra-low temperature technology for medical products and cold chambers and is certified according to ISO 9001, ISO 13485 and PED standards. The MECOTEC Group employs around 85 people worldwide, over 60 of them in Germany. The company has branches in France, the USA and Asia as well as sales offices in the Benelux countries, Italy and the UK. In addition, the company sells its products through distributors in Russia, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), among others. MECOTEC GmbH's customers include numerous large companies from the pharmaceutical and food industries.

The company is managed by its founder and managing director, Enrico Klauer, who is supported by an advisory board made up of experts from the finance and pharmaceutical industries.

Source: www.mecotec.net