New successful pilot at the Valenciaport Sandbox: a new material “cools” containers without consuming energy

The Valenciaport Sandbox introduced a fresh pilot project showcasing a passive radiative cooling film developed by Cooling Photonics. This innovative material, which was tested at the Transbase Soler depot in summer, showed promising results. Four identical 20-foot containers were monitored in real summer conditions, including one untreated, one with a conventional internal thermal blanket, one with the cooling film on the roof, and one with the film on the roof and side walls.

Sensors recorded the internal temperature every 15 minutes for over five thousand readings. The findings demonstrated that the untreated container reached a scorching 53°C, while the container with only the roof coated never exceeded 34.2°C. This represented an average daily peak drop of 17.5°C, with differences reaching up to 22°C on the hottest day.

The cooling film reflects solar radiation before it enters the steel shell, enabling the container to cool naturally at night instead of trapping heat. This technology has significant implications for ports, terminals, logistics operators, and depots, offering applications that enhance efficiency and sustainability. The collaboration among Valenciaport, Fundación Valenciaport, and Opentop facilitated the pilot's success, proving that innovation can deliver practical, measurable results within the port operations environment.