45,000-pallet ASRS deep-freeze DC — Netherlands
Pan-European frozen 3PL replaced two conventional −25 °C warehouses with a single high-bay ASRS deep-freeze DC to serve retail and QSR customers across the Benelux, Germany and France.
Challenge
- Labour shortage forcing shift-based operations; picker productivity flat 3 years.
- EU F-gas quota tightening on legacy HFC plants (R404A phase-out).
- Dutch grid connection capped at 4.2 MVA — no expansion available before 2029.
ColdMatch solution
- Turnkey ASRS: 8 stacker cranes, 45k pallet positions, 28 m clear-height high-bay.
- NH₃/CO₂ cascade central plant, 6 low-charge NH₃ packs (<180 kg per pack).
- Ice-bank thermal storage + 1.8 MWp rooftop PV for peak-shaving under grid cap.
- ColdMatch tendered EPC + ASRS integrator + refrigeration OEM in parallel workstreams.
Project scope
- Civil: 26,000 m² slab, insulated envelope (250 mm PIR), sub-floor heating grid.
- Mechanical: NH₃/CO₂ cascade 3.2 MW cooling, 6× low-charge packs, glycol heat recovery to office HVAC.
- Automation: 8× ASRS cranes, monorail transfer, conveyor sortation, WMS/WCS integration to SAP EWM.
- Electrical: 4.2 MVA connection, 1.8 MWp PV, 2.4 MWh ice-bank, LV/MV switchgear.
- Commissioning: FAT/SAT, 90-day performance test, ISO 50001 & BRCGS Storage certification.
Key engineering metrics
- Cooling load
- 3.2 MW
- Specific energy
- 22 kWh/m³·yr
- COP (system, annualised)
- 2.35
- Refrigerant charge
- 1,050 kg NH₃ · 1,400 kg CO₂
- Availability (SLA)
- 99.95%
- Pick lines / hour
- 1,850
peak, −28 °C ASRS + −25 °C bulk
vs 38 kWh/m³·yr legacy benchmark
goods-to-person, 4 stations
ROI & financial performance
- Capex
- €62M
- Annual savings
- €6.8M/yr (energy + labour + leasing)
- Payback
- 6.4 yrs
- IRR
- 17.8% (10-yr)
- NPV
- €38M @ 8% WACC
- Energy reduction
- −42% kWh/pallet-yr
- CO₂ reduction
- −4,900 t CO₂e/yr
“The parallel EPC / ASRS / refrigeration tender saved us nine months versus a sequential process — and the low-charge NH₃ design got us insurance approval first time.”
How this project was delivered — planning to commissioning
Automation-led delivery with refrigeration and ASRS interfaces contracted together. Total programme: 26 months, concept to automated go-live.
- 1
Planning & feasibility
Months 1–6- Pallet-flow simulation to size the ASRS aisles, cranes and buffer capacity.
- Refrigeration concept matched to a low-occupancy, low-infiltration high-bay envelope.
- Interface responsibility matrix agreed between automation, refrigeration and civil packages.
Milestone: Simulation-backed design and interface matrix approved.
- 2
Permitting & approvals
Months 6–11- High-bay building permit including height, wind and fire-engineering assessments.
- Ammonia installation notification and safety report to the competent authority.
- Grid connection and energy-performance filings completed.
Milestone: Permits granted for high-bay construction and refrigerant installation.
- 3
Procurement & build-out
Months 11–21- Rack-clad high-bay structure erected, then enveloped and insulated.
- Cranes, conveyors and the refrigeration plant installed against the interface matrix.
- Controls, WMS and warehouse control system integrated progressively.
Milestone: Mechanical and automation installation complete.
- 4
Testing & validation
Months 21–25- Automation availability and throughput testing at design and peak rates.
- Temperature homogeneity verified across the full stack height.
- Failure-mode testing: crane fault, power loss and controlled recovery.
Milestone: Availability and temperature-uniformity guarantees demonstrated.
- 5
Commissioning & handover
Months 25–26- Stock migration from the legacy warehouse in controlled waves.
- Operator and maintenance training on automation and refrigeration systems.
- Service, spares and remote-support agreements activated.
Milestone: Automated warehouse live with legacy site decommissioned.
This project sits under the Develop a Refrigerated Warehouse objective. Start from the objective hub to scope capacity, permitting and budget before engaging suppliers.
Project brief → RFQ package → supplier outreach → outcome
Every ColdMatch project follows the same managed sequence. Nothing reaches a supplier before David has reviewed the brief and confirmed the project scope, budget and timeline.
1. Project brief
- Submitted via
- RFQ builder — automated deep-freeze distribution
- Review
- Reviewed manually by David with an ASRS specialist
Clarified before outreach
- Hard grid limit of 4.2 MVA and the earliest possible upgrade date.
- F-gas exposure on the two legacy R404A plants being replaced.
- Labour model assumptions behind the goods-to-person business case.
Qualification checks
- Capex band €55–65M with financing committed.
- Two existing sites to be exited, fixing the programme end date.
- Board mandate for a low-charge natural-refrigerant solution.
2. RFQ package issued
Three parallel workstreams: EPC, ASRS integrator and refrigeration OEM
Documents in the pack
- High-bay design brief: 45,000 pallets, 28 m clear height, −28 °C ASRS core.
- Energy envelope under the 4.2 MVA grid cap, including PV and ice-bank assumptions.
- Low-charge ammonia requirement (<180 kg per pack) with safety case.
- SAP EWM integration scope and acceptance criteria.
Mandatory supplier returns
- Specific energy guarantee in kWh/m³·yr and annualised COP basis.
- Peak demand profile proving compliance with the grid cap.
- Pick-lines-per-hour guarantee with an agreed test protocol.
- 90-day performance-test acceptance conditions.
3. Managed supplier outreach
- Approached
- 16 suppliers screened across the three workstreams
- Shortlisted
- 3 EPCs, 3 integrators, 2 refrigeration OEMs
- Round 1 — grid-cap feasibility
Any solution that could not stay inside 4.2 MVA at peak was eliminated before commercial talks.
- Round 2 — parallel technical tenders
Workstreams tendered simultaneously against one interface matrix to protect the programme date.
- Round 3 — performance guarantees
Energy, throughput and availability guarantees converted into contractual penalties.
Evaluation weighting
- Specific energy & peak demand
- 30%
- Automation throughput & availability
- 30%
- Refrigerant strategy & compliance
- 20%
- Price (normalised scope)
- 20%
4. Commercial outcome
NH₃/CO₂ cascade with low-charge packs, PV and ice-bank peak-shaving under the grid cap
Delivered results
- 22 kWh/m³·yr versus a 38 kWh/m³·yr legacy benchmark.
- 1,850 pick lines/hour at 99.95% contractual availability.
- €62M capex, €6.8M/yr savings, 6.4-year payback.
Benchmark your own energy intensity with the OPEX estimator before tendering.
Project records are anonymised at the buyer's request and presented as planning-grade benchmarks. Costs, timelines and performance figures are indicative and are not engineering designs or quotations.
Supplier and manufacturer listings are provided for research, transparency and discovery only. ColdMatch Group does not provide automatic buyer-supplier introductions. Every cold chain project request is reviewed manually by David / ColdMatch Group, and supplier introductions are made only after internal approval.