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 the ColdMatch project team 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 the ColdMatch project team 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 information is provided for research only; it is not a directory for direct contact. There is no direct buyer-to-supplier connection: every RFQ comes to the ColdMatch team, which validates it, contacts suitable suppliers on the buyer's behalf and presents organized responses through ColdMatch.