Refrigerated distribution centre
Temperature-controlled warehouse for storing and distributing palletised goods, with docks, racking and refrigeration designed together.
- Built-up / site-built
- Chilled storage
- Frozen storage
Refrigerated warehouses and distribution centres
500 to 50,000+ pallet position refrigerated distribution centres — racking, doors, refrigeration, dock levellers and WMS-ready fit-out for 3PL, retail and food operators.
ColdMatch facilitates sourcing and RFQs; it does not manufacture, sell, import or export the listed products and is not a regulatory authority. Suppliers are responsible for their products meeting the requirements of the origin and destination countries; buyers for import permissions, local rules and due diligence. Requirements vary by product and country, and the team checks requests before any supplier contact. Regulation and restricted items
Cold warehouses system types we can source
General descriptions to help you define your request. Specifications, prices and lead times come only from suppliers’ written offers.
Cold-store racking
Pallet racking selected for low-temperature environments, including selective, drive-in and mobile racking layouts.
- Component
- Chilled storage
- Frozen storage
Cold-store loading dock equipment
Dock levellers, dock shelters or seals and insulated loading doors that limit warm-air entry while refrigerated vehicles are loaded.
- Component
- Chilled storage
- Frozen storage
What to decide before you request quotes
- Pallet positions, throughput per day and the number of temperature zones.
- Dock, door and racking layout and how goods move between zones.
- Central plant versus distributed refrigeration, and the redundancy you need.
- Building, fire and energy requirements in the destination country.
Compare cold warehouses options
Cold room vs refrigerated warehouse
Do you need a room inside a building, or a building designed around refrigeration?
| Aspect | Modular cold room | Refrigerated distribution centre |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An insulated room with its own refrigeration, usually inside an existing building. | A temperature-controlled building with docks, racking and refrigeration designed together. |
| Usual fit | Shops, kitchens, small processors, farms and back-up storage. | Daily pallet flows for retail, food service and 3PL operators. |
| What drives the design | Room size, products, temperature and door use. | Pallet positions, daily in/out flows, docks and temperature zones. |
| Permits and works | Usually limited building works; check local rules for electrical and refrigerant work. | Building, fire and planning approvals; civil works and utilities are part of the project. |
| Main trade-off | Simple to buy and extend, but limited for heavy forklift traffic and many docks. | Built for throughput, but needs a defined flow and a longer project. |
Rule of thumb: If you count storage in shelves or a few pallets, start with a cold room. If you count pallets moving per day, define the warehouse flow first.
Guides before you request quotes
Size it with free calculators
- Cold warehouse capacity planner
- Facility sizing calculator
- Build and operating cost calculator
- Electricity cost calculator
- Backup generator sizing
- RFQ readiness check
Planning estimates to make your request specific — not quotes.
Equipment sourcing vs project planning
This catalog covers sourcing cold warehouses equipment. If you first need a complete facility sized, laid out and scoped, that is a separate project planning service.
Project planning servicesSources and further reading
Links checked on . They explain rules and practice; they do not confirm that any specific offer complies. Requirements differ by country — check with your own advisers.
- ASHRAE Handbook — ASHRAE
Engineering reference; its Refrigeration volume covers refrigeration systems, cold-storage design and food refrigeration.
- International Institute of Refrigeration — IIR
Intergovernmental refrigeration body publishing information notes and research on refrigeration technology and the cold chain.
- Fluorinated greenhouse gases — EU rules (Regulation (EU) 2024/573) — European Commission
EU restrictions on certain fluorinated refrigerants by equipment type and date. Use it to check whether the refrigerant offered is restricted for your equipment in the EU.
Supplier-confirmed listings
No supplier-confirmed listings are published here yet. ColdMatch only publishes details that a supplier has confirmed in writing and our team has reviewed — we do not show estimated stock, prices or specifications.
You can still request quotes now: send your requirement and the ColdMatch team will review it and contact suitable suppliers on your behalf.
Details shown once a supplier confirms them
- Capacity range (kW or pallet positions)
- Temperature range
- Refrigerant
- Energy data supplied by the manufacturer
- Country of manufacture
- Countries the supplier can deliver to
- Project scale handled
- Availability confirmed by the supplier, with date
- Documents available on request
Typical cold warehouses applications
- Multi-temp DC
- AS/RS freezer
- Racking
- Dock levellers
- WMS integration
Sourcing requests by country
How a request from each country is handled. Supplier availability is confirmed only in written responses.