Won a new customer? Can your cold storage operation handle the additional volume?
A signed refrigerated contract commits volume months before capacity exists. The constraint is rarely only pallet positions — it is usually refrigeration duty, door cycles, dock capacity and electrical headroom arriving at the same time. Run the capacity check below, then scope it.
What to collect before suppliers are contacted
Signals that the contract becomes a project
New peak load above ~85% of installed duty → plan for upsizing or a second plant.
More than ~20% more dock movements → infiltration and defrost load rise before storage does.
Peak occupancy above ~90% → picking slows and throughput drops before positions run out.
Warm inbound product converts a storage contract into a chilling/freezing duty.
Added kW without transformer headroom becomes the long-lead item, not the compressors.
A pharma or export customer adds monitoring, mapping, redundancy and documentation scope.
These are potential capacity constraints requiring technical review, not a design conclusion.
Path from contract to manufacturers
Committed pallets and throughput.
Positions, plant duty, power, docks.
Door cycles, staging, blast load.
Systems in scope, indicative band.
Comparable scope to relevant manufacturers.
FAQ
We won a new customer. How do we know if our cold warehouse can handle the additional volume?
Compare combined peak pallet positions, combined daily inbound and outbound pallets, the new product's arrival and storage temperature, and installed refrigeration duty at design conditions. If the new peak load exceeds roughly 85% of installed duty, or door cycles rise by more than about 20%, the contract needs an infrastructure scope rather than shelf space alone.
How fast can additional cold storage capacity be added?
Racking density and layout changes can land in weeks. Additional cold rooms or freezer zones inside an existing envelope typically run 4–9 months. A building extension or Phase 2 with new refrigeration and power usually runs 9–18 months, with electrical supply and long-lead compressors often setting the critical path.
Should we use a 3PL temporarily instead of expanding?
Overflow storage is a common bridge while a permanent expansion is designed and built, especially where the new contract is seasonal. It adds handling cost and double transport, so it is usually evaluated against a phased in-house expansion rather than as a replacement.
What does an expansion for a new contract typically cost?
It depends on added pallet positions, temperature class and how large the refrigeration and power gap is. Most cold storage expansion programs fall between USD 250K and USD 10M+, because capacity changes normally touch refrigeration, electrical, envelope, doors and monitoring together.
Indicative planning guidance only — not engineering certification, compliance certification or a guarantee of capacity, savings or reliability.