What cold chain equipment does a seafood export facility need?

Ice production and chilled holding, blast freezing (tunnel, spiral or plate) sized in tonnes per 24 hours, frozen storage at −18 to −25 °C (or −35 to −60 °C for tuna and sashimi grades), glazing capacity, reefer-ready loading docks and continuous temperature monitoring with audit-ready records.

How is blast freezer capacity specified for seafood export?

In tonnes per 24 hours at a stated inlet and core temperature, for the actual product form. A tunnel that freezes 20 t/24 h of whole fish will not deliver the same throughput on thick tuna loins or packed shrimp blocks, so the specification must name product, packaging and core temperature.

Which refrigerant suits a seafood freezing plant?

Ammonia (R717) is the efficiency benchmark for larger freezing plants. CO₂ cascade or transcritical systems are used where ammonia charge limits, urban location or local regulation restrict ammonia. The choice affects CAPEX, energy cost, machine-room requirements and operator competence — it should be compared, not assumed.

What is the difference between ColdMatch and FishMatch Group?

ColdMatch Group covers the cold chain: chilling, blast freezing, IQF, frozen storage and refrigerated logistics infrastructure. FishMatch Group covers aquaculture production — fish and shrimp farms, RAS, hatcheries, water treatment and farm infrastructure. Both operate within the Global B2B Group ecosystem, and each request stays with the platform that owns the scope.

Does ColdMatch connect me directly to a freezing equipment manufacturer?

No. ColdMatch Group is not an automatic marketplace. Every seafood cold chain request is reviewed manually by David / ColdMatch Group, the brief is structured internally, and supplier introductions are made only after internal approval.

What project size does ColdMatch support for seafood cold chain?

Commercial and industrial projects, typically from USD 250,000 upwards — processing-plant freezing lines, export cold stores, port-side cold chain hubs and cold-chain logistics facilities.

FishMatch × ColdMatch

Seafood export cold chain — freezing, storage and logistics guide

Export-grade seafood is won or lost in the first hours after landing and in the freezing tunnel. This guide sets out how to specify chilling, blast freezing and IQF, frozen storage and reefer logistics for an export facility — and how ColdMatch Group prepares a supplier-ready RFQ around it. Aquaculture production itself sits with our sister platform, FishMatch Group.

The four cold chain stages of a seafood export project

1. Landing, chilling and pre-processing

Flake or slurry ice capacity, chilled holding at 0 to +2 °C and hygienic processing rooms sized for peak landings, not average volumes. Undersized chilling at this stage is the most common cause of export rejections.

2. Blast freezing and IQF

Freezing capacity is specified in tonnes per 24 hours at a defined core temperature (typically −18 °C core from +5 °C inlet). Tunnel, spiral or plate freezers are chosen by product form: whole fish, fillets, shrimp, cephalopods or value-added packs.

3. Frozen storage and glazing

−18 to −25 °C export stores for standard whitefish and shrimp; −35 to −60 °C for tuna and sashimi-grade products. Glazing lines, re-freezing capacity, humidity control and racking density define usable pallet positions.

4. Export logistics interface

Reefer loading docks with dock shelters, staging at product temperature, container pre-cooling, temperature logging and traceability records demanded by EU, US FDA, Japanese and Gulf importers.

What suppliers must quote against

Freezing capacity	Tonnes / 24 h at defined inlet and core temperature, per product form
Storage temperature	−18 to −25 °C standard export; −35 to −60 °C tuna and premium sashimi grades
Storage volume	Pallet positions plus 15–20 % seasonal peak buffer
Refrigerant	Ammonia (R717) for large plants; CO₂ cascade where ammonia charge is restricted
Redundancy	N+1 compressors for export plants; standby generator sized for full freezing load
Monitoring	Continuous logging, alarms and audit-ready reports for HACCP, EU approval numbers and importer audits
Hygiene	Washdown-rated panels, coved floors, drainage and materials compatible with seafood processing

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.

Continue with the cold chain detail

Ecosystem

Aquaculture production side? FishMatch Group

FishMatch Group is an independent B2B sourcing and project-coordination platform for commercial fish farming, shrimp farming and aquaculture infrastructure. If your project also includes farms, RAS systems, hatcheries or water treatment, that scope belongs with FishMatch Group. The cold chain stays with ColdMatch Group.

Visit FishMatch Group

Both platforms operate within the Global B2B Group ecosystem. Cold chain requests stay with ColdMatch and are reviewed manually before any supplier introduction.

Seafood export cold chain FAQ

How ColdMatch Group works — independent B2B procurement and sourcing platform — ColdMatch Group is an independent B2B procurement and sourcing platform for industrial refrigeration, cold storage and cold-chain projects from USD $250K+, connecting buyers with qualified third-party suppliers, EPC contractors and independent financing providers.