Integrated meat processing & cold storage — Brazil
Beef exporter expanding capacity for halal and EU markets needed an integrated chilling, blast freezing and frozen storage line.
Challenge
- Throughput target: 280 t/day chilled, 120 t/day blast.
- Power constraints required peak-shaving via thermal storage.
- Halal segregation and EU traceability in one facility.
ColdMatch solution
- NH₃ central plant with ice-bank thermal storage.
- Conveyorised blast tunnels with automated retraction.
- ColdMatch-managed tender across 5 international EPCs.
How this project was delivered — planning to commissioning
Integrated process + refrigeration EPC with staged energisation. Total programme: 24 months, concept to export throughput.
- 1
Planning & feasibility
Months 1–5- Throughput modelling for 280 t/day chilled and 120 t/day blast capacity.
- Grid capacity study and thermal-storage peak-shaving strategy.
- Halal and EU segregation designed into the product flow and hygiene zoning.
Milestone: Process flow and refrigeration concept frozen for tender.
- 2
Permitting & approvals
Months 5–10- Federal inspection service and EU establishment approval requirements mapped.
- State environmental licence covering effluent, refrigerant and noise.
- Utility connection agreement negotiated with the local distributor.
Milestone: Environmental licence and export establishment pathway confirmed.
- 3
Procurement & build-out
Months 10–20- Chill halls, two blast tunnels and frozen storage built in a single civil programme.
- Central ammonia plant with thermal storage installed and staged for partial energisation.
- Hygiene-critical finishes, drainage and dock equipment installed under supervision.
Milestone: First chill hall energised while the freezer package continues.
- 4
Testing & validation
Months 20–23- Chilling and blast curves verified against contractual throughput per shift.
- Peak-demand testing to confirm thermal storage holds the site inside its grid limit.
- Traceability and segregation audit rehearsals for EU and halal certification.
Milestone: Throughput and demand guarantees demonstrated over sustained runs.
- 5
Commissioning & handover
Months 23–24- Shift-team training on plant operation, defrost and emergency shutdown.
- Maintenance regime, spares and refrigerant management plan handed over.
- Ramp-up plan to full export volume agreed with the operator.
Milestone: Plant released to production and certification audits scheduled.
This project sits under the Develop a Food Processing Cold Chain 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 — meat processing expansion
- Review
- Reviewed manually by David before supplier outreach
Clarified before outreach
- Daily chilled and blast tonnage targets, split by halal and EU lines.
- Utility constraint: contracted peak demand and the cost of exceeding it.
- Segregation requirements for halal and EU traceability inside one building.
Qualification checks
- Capex indication US$ 10–14M with financing already arranged.
- Plant engineering lead assigned as the single technical contact.
- Live-site construction constraints documented before tender.
2. RFQ package issued
One specification, five bidders, identical clarification log
Documents in the pack
- Throughput model: 280 t/day chilled, 120 t/day blast, with seasonality.
- Peak-shaving requirement and thermal-storage sizing basis.
- Segregation and hygienic-design requirements for halal and EU audit.
- Live-site phasing constraints and permitted shutdown windows.
Mandatory supplier returns
- Guaranteed throughput at stated ambient and product entry temperatures.
- Peak electrical demand profile with and without thermal storage.
- Hygienic-design compliance statement per zone.
- Commissioning and performance-test protocol.
3. Managed supplier outreach
- Approached
- 11 EPCs screened across Brazil, Europe and Asia
- Shortlisted
- 5 invited to a managed tender
- Round 1 — capacity screen
Bidders without comparable red-meat blast references were filtered out before contact.
- Round 2 — technical tender
Throughput guarantees and demand profiles compared on a normalised basis.
- Round 3 — final negotiation
Two finalists retendered on spares, service response and performance penalties.
Evaluation weighting
- Guaranteed throughput
- 30%
- Peak-demand performance
- 25%
- Price (normalised scope)
- 25%
- Hygienic design & audit readiness
- 20%
4. Commercial outcome
NH₃ central plant with ice-bank thermal storage and conveyorised blast tunnels
Delivered results
- +62% throughput uplift.
- −28% peak electrical demand through thermal storage.
- HACCP, BRC, Halal and EU certifications achieved on a US$ 12.4M project.
Size your blast tunnels with the blast freezer calculator before submitting a brief.
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.