Danish shipping giant Maersk is building a new 45,000m2 (484,376ft2) cold storage facility in New Zealand, which will be cooled by a CO2 (R744) refrigeration system.
The facility, which will be able to cool 21,000 pallets of frozen and refrigerated products, will be located near Hamilton in the Waikato region on the North Island. The facility will have more than 16,000m2 (172,223ft2) of fully convertible temperature-controlled space with temperatures ranging from -25°C to 15°C (-13°F to 59°F).
The name of the CO2 refrigeration system manufacturer has yet to be announced, as Maersk is still in the process of appointing the supplier, according to Bonnie Huang, Maersk Media Relations Manager for Asia Pacific.
The facility is expected to open in late 2023 and will be built on land leased from Tainui Group Holdings. Tainui Group Holdings is a commercial entity of the Waikato-Tainui – one of the largest iwi (tribal groups) in New Zealand.
The plan is to integrate state-of-the-art cold storage with depot and intermodal connections, enabling Maersk to offer end-to-end storage, fulfillment, distribution and inland transportation services for its New Zealand customers. In addition to the environmentally-friendly CO2 refrigeration system, the facility will feature solar energy, rainwater harvesting and a low carbon policy for the construction phase. Maersk is targeting an audited 5 Star Green Star rating in New Zealand.
“From dairy and meat to seafood and fruits, the primary industry sector is key to drive the development of New Zealand’s economy,” said Henrik Jensen, Managing Director of Maersk Oceania, in a statement. “We are pleased to offer our customers innovative solutions and access to our integrated global network, through which we can contribute significantly to the country’s economic growth and bring new opportunities to the communities we are part of.”
“This cold storage facility will cater for both national and international supply chains, and in conjunction with our extensive New Zealand ocean network connecting the world. We firmly believe it will enable us to be flexible and agile in our operations to ensure that we can match customers’ needs with seasonal demand,” Jensen added.
“We have seen significant growing demand from exporters, importers and local processors who rely on temperature-controlled storage in the region,” said Tony Mildon, Head of Reefer at Maersk Oceania. “With the new facility in place and its close integration with Maersk’s logistics solutions, we will offer more transparency and visibility of refrigerated cargoes and help customers build more efficient and resilient supply chains.”
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