Country refrigeration procurement brief · Vietnam
Industrial refrigeration and cold storage procurement in Vietnam
Vietnam's cold chain is expanding rapidly due to booming seafood exports, rising retail demand, and the pharmaceutical sector. Key hubs include Ho Chi Minh City, Long An, and Hai Phong.
Direct procurement answer
Refrigeration in Vietnam follows MONRE's Decree 06/2022 regarding greenhouse gas reduction and ODS management. Food facilities must comply with MARD/NAFIQAD standards, while pharmaceutical storage follows Drug Administration of Vietnam (MOH) GSP guidelines. Equipment must meet TCVN national standards.
For a cold storage project in Vietnam, define throughput, temperature zones, clear height, refrigerant constraints and utility capacity before requesting prices. Use one technical brief for every bidder, verify local compliance evidence and compare lifecycle cost rather than equipment price alone.
Country-specific planning priorities
The Vietnamese cold chain market
Seafood exports and e-commerce are the primary growth drivers.
- Seafood processing and frozen storage in the Mekong Delta and central coast.
- Multi-temperature warehouses for modern retail and QSR chains.
- GSP-compliant pharma warehouses for domestic and export use.
Regulations
Environmental and safety rules are becoming stricter.
- MONRE Decree 06/2022 mandates ODS/HFC reporting and phase-down.
- NAFIQAD/MARD hygiene and temperature certification for export seafood.
- MOH GSP certification is mandatory for pharmaceutical storage.
Cost and timeline drivers
Land costs and electricity efficiency are critical factors.
- High land prices in industrial zones near major ports.
- Investment in energy-efficient systems to counter rising power tariffs.
- Building permits and environmental impact assessment (EIA) timelines.
A supplier-ready procurement sequence
- 01Confirm products, daily throughput, storage duration and temperature zones.
- 02Convert demand into room layout, pallet positions, cooling duty and utility requirements.
- 03Record local permitting, refrigerant, food or pharmaceutical obligations in the same brief.
- 04Issue an identical RFQ to qualified suppliers and compare exclusions, controls, commissioning and service coverage.
- 05Complete engineering and local compliance review before contract award.
Official sources for these rules
Rules on this page are summarised from the regulators and legal texts below. Always read the current version before design or tender.
- Decree No. 06/2022/ND-CP on reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and ozone layer protection — MONRE
- Circular 36/2018/TT-BYT on Good Storage Practices (GSP) — Drug Administration of Vietnam
- Food safety control for exported aquatic and agricultural products — MARD / NAFIQAD
Links checked: 2026-09-26
Preliminary project estimate
Model the layout, insulated envelope, cooling capacity and indicative budget for Vietnam. The result transfers into a supplier-ready RFQ.
Preliminary cold store estimate
Enter floor area, clear height, temperature and panel material. The estimate combines layout, materials, a project brief and budget in one result.
1. Layout
2. Building materials
3. Budget
| Insulated panels | VND 609,927,600 |
| Floor insulation / heating | VND 121,920,000 |
| Refrigeration equipment | VND 1,755,648,000 |
| Insulated doors | VND 137,160,000 |
| Pallet racking | VND 1,080,820,800 |
| Installation labour | VND 591,393,900 |
| Electrical & controls | VND 300,328,272 |
| Contingency (10%) | VND 459,719,857 |
| Indicative total | VND 5,056,918,429 |
4. Project brief (copy for suppliers)
Vietnam — Cold store, Chilled 0…+4 °C, 400 m² × 8 m clear height, PIR 100 mm panels, approx. 788 pallet positions, approx. 128 kW refrigeration. Indicative budget VND 5,056,918,429. Please quote on these assumptions.
Rough planning estimate using general assumptions (40/60 W per m³, 1.9 m² per pallet position, typical panel prices). Excludes land, building shell, permits, taxes and freight. Not a quotation.
VND · ×0.6 local cost level · Ministry of Construction: Construction price indices
Get this reviewed — start an RFQQuestions buyers ask before tender
What are the ODS/HFC regulations in Vietnam?
Decree 06/2022/ND-CP regulates the management of ozone-depleting substances and HFCs, including import quotas and technician requirements.
Who regulates seafood cold storage for export?
MARD and NAFIQAD oversee food safety and hygiene, requiring strict temperature logs and facility approvals for international markets.
Is CO2 or Ammonia common in Vietnam?
Ammonia is widely used in large industrial seafood plants, while CO2 and low-GWP HFCs are gaining traction in modern logistics centers.
Can ColdMatch help with a Vietnam project?
Yes. ColdMatch reviews the brief, prepares a comparable RFQ and introduces independent suppliers. It does not build, sell or finance facilities.
How does ColdMatch select suppliers for this country?
ColdMatch first reviews project scope, location, scale and technical requirements. The team then contacts suitable suppliers on the buyer's behalf and presents organized responses; suppliers cannot buy a ranking or automatic shortlist position.
ColdMatch reviews the project brief, contacts suitable independent suppliers on the buyer's behalf and presents organized responses. It does not manufacture, install, guarantee, lend, provide financial advice or sell paid rankings.
Two procurement paths
Competitive quotations or one accountable EPC partner
For commercial and industrial projects from USD 250K+. ColdMatch reviews the project, contacts suitable independent manufacturers, integrators or EPC contractors on the buyer's behalf, and presents organized responses for comparison. Final execution responsibility remains with the selected contractor or supplier.
A. Multi-supplier procurement
One structured RFQ, comparable quotations from several technically relevant suppliers. Best when you manage the design or want to benchmark equipment packages.
Start a multi-supplier RFQB. Turnkey EPC matching
One accountable manufacturer, integrator or EPC contractor for the complete scope: thermal design, refrigeration plant, panels, racking, automation, controls, backup, shipping, installation, commissioning, training, warranty and maintenance — delivered by the contractor, not by ColdMatch.
Start a turnkey EPC briefTurnkey, EPC and supply: direct answers
- What is a turnkey cold storage project?
- A project where one accountable manufacturer, integrator or EPC contractor delivers the complete facility — design, refrigeration plant, insulated envelope, installation and commissioning — under a single contract with single-point responsibility.
- What does a refrigeration EPC contractor provide?
- Engineering (thermal load and plant design), procurement of equipment and materials, and construction: installation, commissioning, training and handover, usually with warranty and optional maintenance.
- What information is required before quoting a cold store?
- Product stored, temperature zones, storage volume or pallet positions, daily throughput and entry temperature, site and ambient design temperature, power supply and backup, redundancy level, scope of supply, budget and project stage.
- Can one contractor deliver the complete cold-chain project?
- Yes, for many projects a single EPC contractor or integrator can take full responsibility. Very large or multi-site programmes sometimes split civil works, refrigeration and automation between specialists.
- What does commissioning include?
- Pressure and leak testing, refrigerant charging, start-up, pull-down to design temperature, controls and alarm verification, performance testing against the specification, operator training and handover documentation.
- Does ColdMatch install refrigeration systems?
- No. ColdMatch does not engineer, install, commission or operate anything. Its team reviews the project, contacts suitable independent manufacturers, integrators or EPC contractors on the buyer's behalf and presents organized responses; execution responsibility stays with the selected contractor.
- Does ColdMatch provide financing?
- No. ColdMatch is not a lender or bank. It may introduce qualified projects to independent third-party financing providers for evaluation; approval and terms are decided solely by those providers.
- How are refrigeration suppliers selected?
- Each request is reviewed manually. Suppliers or EPC contractors are shortlisted against the stated scope, technology, country, project scale and comparable references, and the buyer makes the final choice.
- What is the difference between equipment supply and full EPC delivery?
- Equipment supply covers delivered hardware only; the buyer manages design, installation and interfaces. Full EPC delivery puts engineering, supply, installation and commissioning under one contractor with single-point responsibility.