Six cold-chain project archetypes — for planning, not quoting.
Illustrative reference projects showing indicative investment ranges, main cost drivers, equipment scope, phases, timelines and typical financing routes. Use them to frame a new project — then move to the calculators, RFQ Builder or financing pre-qualifier.
Planning examples only. Ranges depend on country, specifications, suppliers, logistics, installation and market conditions. Not a binding quotation. Actual pricing is confirmed by suppliers via RFQ.
Example Project
Cold Storage Project
Regional 3PL or food producer needing 5,000-pallet multi-temp storage.
Capacity
5,000 pallets · +2 °C to −25 °C
Indicative investment
USD 5M – 20M
Planning range
Timeline
12–18 months (indicative)
Main cost drivers
Insulated envelope & floor
Refrigeration plant (NH₃/CO₂/HFO)
Racking & MHE
Dock levellers & doors
Controls, BMS & standby power
Equipment categories
Compressors & condensers
Evaporators
Panel envelope
Racking system
Refrigerated doors
Utilities & infrastructure
MV/LV supply, transformer
Standby generator (N or N+1)
Cooling water / evap condenser make-up
Fire detection & suppression
Implementation phases
Feasibility & site survey
FEED & basic design
Detailed engineering
Supplier selection & PO
Civil works
Mechanical install
Commissioning & handover
Common risks
Undersized refrigeration plant
Refrigerant regulation changes
Ground conditions & floor design
Utility connection lead times
Possible financing routes
Equipment finance / leasing
Project finance (bank + ECA)
Green / DFI credit lines for low-GWP refrigerants
Related resources
Curated for this archetype
Hand-picked references to sharpen the brief before you request quotes — no exhaustive lists.
