Aquaculture cold chain project — chill, freeze, store and export infrastructure
The cold chain is the difference between a landed catch and a paid export invoice. FishMatch designs and finances aquaculture cold chains — from harvest chilling on-farm to IQF, blast freezing, cold storage and reefer export logistics — as one integrated bankable asset.
Harvest chill · IQF · blast · cold storage · reefer export · export approval
- Vendor-neutral
- DFI + ECA ready
- Benchmarked CAPEX
- Water & power sized
- Financing structured
Engineering
- Harvest chilling: RSW / slurry ice / CSW at the farm gate
- IQF tunnels, plate freezers, blast rooms with NH₃ or CO₂ refrigeration
- Cold storage (−18 to −25 °C) sized to 30–90 days of production
- Loading docks, dock levellers, air curtains, reefer container yard
- Full traceability, cold chain monitoring, GDP / HACCP compliance
Project Budget
| Line item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Harvest chilling & on-farm cold | $0.5M | $2M |
| IQF, blast & plate freezers | $2M | $8M |
| Cold storage (2,000–20,000 t) | $3M | $15M |
| Refrigeration plant (NH₃ / CO₂) | $1.5M | $6M |
| Reefer yard, docks, utilities | $0.8M | $3M |
| Engineering, permits, contingency | $0.8M | $2.5M |
Total CAPEX: US$ 8M – US$ 36M
Equipment Planning
- RSW / CSW chilling, slurry ice generators
- IQF spirals, plate freezers, blast rooms
- NH₃ / CO₂ compressor packages, evaporators, condensers
- Insulated panels, industrial doors, dock levellers
- Cold chain telemetry, blockchain traceability, MRV
Water Requirements
Power Requirements
Supplier Matching
FishMatch briefs 3–5 audited suppliers per package, benchmarks quotes on CAPEX / OPEX / lead time, and coordinates ECA + DFI financing across the shortlist.
RFQ Builder
One structured RFQ, vendor-neutral to shortlisted suppliers. No commitment, no fees.
Financing
- IFC / EBRD / AfDB / IDB cold-chain and food-loss reduction windows
- ECA-covered debt on European refrigeration & IQF OEMs
- Blended finance and grants for post-harvest loss and food security
- 10–12 year tenor, 2-year grace
ROI
Indicative benchmarks. Actual returns depend on species, market, offtake, financing structure and operator track record.
Timeline
- Feasibility & anchor offtake M0–M6Anchor farms / processors, export markets
- Design & financing M4–M12EPC + refrigeration + ECA close
- Construction M10–M22Civil, panels, refrigeration, process
- Commissioning & certification M20–M26EU / GCC / US export approval
Government Incentives
- IFC / AfDB / IDB / EBRD blue-economy financing at 5–8% with 7–15 year tenors
- Export credit agency (ECA) cover from Euler Hermes, SACE, UKEF, EDC, K-SURE
- Blended finance and viability gap funding for food-security aquaculture projects
- National agri-processing / SEZ tax holidays (5–15 years) and import-duty waivers on equipment
- Aquaculture-specific grants and concessional loans under national blue-economy strategies
Calculators
Aquaculture Cold Chain — frequently asked
Why finance the cold chain as one asset?
Piecemeal cold chain investments lose 20–40% of fish value. Financing the full harvest-to-reefer chain as one bankable asset unlocks DFI food-loss windows and export-grade margins.
NH₃ or CO₂?
NH₃ remains the industrial gold standard. CO₂ (R744) is preferred where NH₃ is restricted or for smaller / decentralised systems.
Vendor-neutral EPC + ECA + DFI structuring, from feasibility to first harvest.