The subzero secret to keeping life-saving drugs safe

They are some of the most advanced cold-chain containers in the world. Built by SkyCell, a Swiss technology company, the 1500X model are hybrid containers that can keep temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals at 2–8 °C for up to 270 hours without dry ice or external power.

But delivering life-saving medicine to patients takes more than state-of-the-art containers. It also requires modern cold-chain logistics infrastructure and expertise – including facilities equipped for –20 °C conditions and reliability across long distances and varying climates. That’s where DHL comes in. SkyCell provides the technology, and we ensure it performs flawlessly at scale – a collaboration that culminates at our DHL Freight facility in Mechelen, Belgium – home to SkyCell’s largest service center worldwide.

When you step inside DHL’s Mechelen facility, the temperature drops as you approach the cold chamber – a -20 °C zone where our team of specialists inspects, repairs, and prepares SkyCell containers before they begin their next journey. Once ready, the containers are picked up and taken to the airport, where pharmaceutical companies load them with temperature-sensitive medicines bound for destinations worldwide.

When shipping pharmaceutical products such as vaccines, maintaining a precise temperature range is mission critical. SkyCell’s 1500X features two sensors to monitor both the internal and external temperatures.

The 1500X can maintain an internal temperature of 2–8 °C for up to 270 hours without dry ice or electricity. To work, the containers need to spend time at subzero temperatures. That’s why each container passes through two zones – an ultra-cold freezer at –20 °C and a chilled area at 2–8 °C. 

There’s a reason Mechelen has grown into SkyCell’s largest global service center: a flawless track record. Over five years, there have been zero reported temperature failures. We’ve also worked with SkyCell in Mechelen to test product improvements, which have led to stronger container materials and reduced risk of damage during extended freezing. SkyCell containers go through repeated cycles of deep freezing and thawing, which can gradually weaken materials.

This success has strengthened customer confidence – and in late 2024, SkyCell extended its collaboration with DHL Freight in Mechelen for three more years. The proven model will now be leveraged elsewhere, with DHL Global Forwarding Brazil opening Latin America’s first SkyCell service center before the end of this year.

By combining cutting-edge container technology with rigorous cold-chain processes, DHL and SkyCell are setting new standards in pharmaceutical logistics – ensuring medicines arrive safe, effective, and ready to save lives worldwide.

From vaccines to next-generation therapies, healthcare logistics demands precision, speed, and trust. Our collaboration with SkyCell is one way we meet these big demands at scale. It’s also why we’re investing €2 billion through 2030 to expand our Health Logistics for the Life Sciences & Healthcare Sector – building the infrastructure, technology, and expertise needed to keep critical medicines moving safely worldwide.

To learn more, check out the links below and follow DHL Health Logistics on LinkedIn.