What Is a Cold Storage Warehouse?
A cold storage warehouse is a specialized facility that allows perishable products—mainly food, but also agricultural goods, pharmaceuticals, and items in the logistics sector—to be preserved for extended periods under specific temperature and humidity conditions. It extends shelf life while maintaining the product’s freshness, nutritional value, appearance, and taste.Why Is Cold Storage Necessary?
Fruits and vegetables harvested from fields or gardens can spoil quickly if not stored under proper conditions. Cold storage warehouses keep products fresh and healthy until they reach the market. This ensures quality and reliability for both producers and consumers. Additionally, it helps businesses reduce product loss and increase profit margins.Cold Storage Features
- Can be built as reinforced concrete or prefabricated structures.
- Provides high thermal insulation (panel thickness ranging from 8 cm to 20 cm).
- Designed by calculating load per unit area according to product type and weight.
- Uses refrigerants such as Ammonia or Freon (R404).
- Cooling range: +15°C to -5°C, freezing range: 0°C to -40°C.
- Equipped with fully automated control systems and overload-protected designs.
- Humidity control can be adjusted based on product requirements.
- Loading/unloading platforms enable logistic convenience.
- Shock freezing (blast freezing) rooms are available.
- Features a hygienic interior design that is easy to clean.
Types of Cold Rooms
- Cold Room: Operates between -5°C and +5°C. Used to store fresh produce such as vegetables, fruits, and dairy products.
- Frozen Room: (-15°C to -25°C) Ideal for storing frozen foods.
- Shock Freezing Room: (-30°C to -45°C) Quickly freezes fresh products to -18°C.
Cold Storage Conditions
Cold storage warehouses are systems isolated from external influences, where temperature and humidity levels are precisely controlled. With conditions specifically tailored for each product, quality loss is minimized. In atmosphere-controlled models, reducing oxygen levels and increasing carbon dioxide helps extend product durability.Cold Storage Costs
The cost of setting up a cold storage warehouse varies depending on warehouse size, panel thickness, type of cooling system, level of automation, and intended use. Although initial investment costs may seem high, it significantly reduces product loss in the long run and provides notable financial gains for businesses. Moreover, modern systems that offer energy savings help optimize operating costs.Ways to Minimize Loss
- Accurate determination of harvest time
- Applying technically correct harvesting methods
- Use of trained labor and appropriate equipment
- Ensuring hygiene during the storage process
- Proper planning of product dispatch and removal from cold storage
