Container line giant Mediterranean Shipping Co. (MSC) said Friday it is adding 5,000 refrigerated containers to its fleet, saying the move will let it transport fruit and other perishable cargo over longer distances and attract more exporters and importers.

The containers will be equipped with Carrier Transicold's XtendFRESH atmosphere control technology, which manages oxygen and carbon dioxide levels within the containers and removes ethylene, thus slowing the ripening of produce and helping to preserve its quality beyond what can be achieved by refrigeration alone, MSC said.

Carrier Transicold is a part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (UTC). MSC will lease the specialized containers through SeaCube Containers LLC.

Geneva, Switzerland-based MSC's order is the largest for the XtendFRESH option since the system was introduced in 2013, a product of global trends such as slow steaming and new trade routes resulting from shipping line alliances and consolidations, SeaCube CEO Robert Sappio said in a release.

"By adding atmosphere control for selected perishable cargoes, we are enhancing the care we provide for the valuable commodities we ship for our customers," Giuseppe Prudente, MSC's chief logistics officer, said in a release. "XtendFRESH technology enables MSC to transport fruit and other refrigerated cargo over longer distances, creating tremendous new opportunities for exporters and importers."