Size a fish or seafood cold store
Convert daily landings and holding days into room volume, pallet positions, refrigeration duty and an indicative CAPEX range — including ultra-low temperature tuna stores.
Seafood buyers usually need the store, the blast capacity and the ice plant quoted together — start an RFQ or review financing.
ColdMatch Group is a supplier-neutral procurement platform — not a manufacturer, contractor or lender.
Estimates Only: This calculator is provided for general informational purposes only. Results are approximate and may contain errors, omissions, or outdated information. They do not constitute legal, financial, engineering, tax, technical, or professional advice. Users are solely responsible for independently verifying all calculations, specifications, prices, regulations, and requirements with qualified professionals before making any decisions. By using this calculator, you acknowledge that the website owners, operators, and affiliates accept no responsibility or liability for any loss, damage, or decisions resulting from its use.
Frozen fish stores at 400–550 kg/m³ net, so 600 t of block-frozen whitefish needs roughly 1,250–1,400 m³ gross once aisles and evaporator clearance are included. Refrigeration duty runs about 20–24 W/m³ at −18 to −25 °C and 50–60 W/m³ for −60 °C tuna stores, and indicative CAPEX is USD 450–800 per m³ for standard frozen rooms and USD 1,100–1,700 per m³ for ultra-low temperature stores.
Frequently asked questions
What temperature should a fish cold store run at?
−18 °C for general frozen fish, −25 °C for long-hold export stock, and −55 to −60 °C for sashimi-grade tuna to preserve colour.
How much space does frozen fish need?
Plan 400–550 kg/m³ net for block-frozen and bulk product, or 350–400 kg/m³ for cartoned fillets and shrimp, then divide by about 0.45 utilisation for gross room volume.
Do I need an ice plant as well?
For fresh landings, yes — flake ice demand is typically 0.5–0.8 t per tonne of fish handled per day, depending on ambient temperature and haul time.
Seafood cold storage: buyer questions
- How much cold storage does a fish processing plant need?
- Size from peak landing or intake tonnage, hold time before dispatch and packaging format. A plant intaking 15 t/day with a 10-day frozen hold typically needs 150 t of frozen capacity plus chilled receiving, ice storage and a blast or IQF stage ahead of it.
- What temperature classes does seafood need?
- Fresh receiving and processing at 0 to +2 °C, frozen storage at −18 °C or colder, blast or IQF freezing to a −18 °C core, and −25 to −35 °C for tuna and premium export grades. Ice production capacity is sized separately, usually 0.5–1.0 t of ice per tonne of fresh fish handled.
- Do I need ice production on site?
- Landing sites and processing plants without a reliable external ice supply almost always do. Flake ice suits direct product contact and packing, block and tube ice suit transport and distribution to boats or markets.
- Does ColdMatch supply the plant?
- No. ColdMatch structures your requirement into a comparable RFQ and routes it to manufacturers and integrators with seafood cold chain references.
Indicative planning figures only — final sizing belongs to the supplier's detailed design. Request comparable supplier quotes · all cold chain tools
- IQF Freezer Buyer Guide
- Cold Room Cost Benchmarks
- Refrigerated Logistics & Reefer Guide
- All Cold Chain Buyer Guides