Godrej Appliances launches -80 degree Celsius freezers
The freezers could be key to storage of Pfizer’s vaccine, which require average temperature of about -70 degree CelsiusSo far, it has not received any orders from any country, but will be going for clearance to WHO in about two months, an official at Godrej Appliances
Godrej Appliances Ltd on Tuesday launched ultra-low-temperature freezers that can store medical products like vaccines at temperatures below -80 °C, which the company plans to supply to India and export markets.
The freezers could be key to storage of Pfizer’s vaccine, which require average temperature of about -70 degree Celsius. India has so far now shown interest in procuring the vaccine due to logistical challenge posed by the ultra-low storage temperature.
“This pandemic has underscored the need to be future ready when it comes to vaccine cold chain infrastructure... Our latest offering of Ultra Low Temperature Freezers will help make India more ready for vaccines of the future as well. This endeavor also brings alive our ethos of Made in India for the World," Jamshyd Godrej, chairman and managing director of Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Company, said in a statement. Godrej & Boyce is the parent firm of Godrej Appliances and the flagship firm of the Godrej Group.
The company said it can currently produce 12,000 ultra-low temperature freezers per annum, primarily at its manufacturing plant near Pune as well as some contract manufacturers and is working towards quickly ramping up the capacity to 30,000 units per annum to meet the growing global demand.
“The marketing of these products will start from today onwards," Kamal Nandi, business head and executive vice president at Godrej Appliances, told Mint.
So far, it has not received any orders from any country, but will be going for clearance to the World Health Organization in about two months, Godrej Appliances associate vice president and new business development head Jaishankar Natarajan told Mint. This will allow the company to sell it ultra-low temperature freezers to agencies like UNICEF and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, he said.
So far, it has not received any orders from any country, but will be going for clearance to the World Health Organization in about two months, Godrej Appliances associate vice president and new business development head Jaishankar Natarajan told Mint. This will allow the company to sell it ultra-low temperature freezers to agencies like UNICEF and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, he said.
The two agencies deal with vaccine distribution at a global level, especially of covid-19 vaccines through Covax, a facility jointly led by WHO, Gavi and Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).
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