How Much Does It Cost to Build a 3000 m³ Food Cold Storage Room?

For food manufacturers, building a cold storage room is an essential part of the production facility. It ensures long-term preservation of fruits, vegetables, fresh meat, seafood, and other perishable goods.
Depending on the temperature range and purpose, the cold room may include chilling chambers, freezing rooms, blast freezers, or loading tunnels, and each type affects the total construction cost.

👉 For reference, see our Food Cold Storage Project Case to learn how Haocool helped an overseas client build an efficient and energy-saving cold room.

Estimated Construction Cost

Based on standard configurations, the total investment for a 3000 m³ food cold storage is approximately USD 125,000–165,000.
This includes:

• Insulation panels: 100–150 mm thick polyurethane panels
• Cooling system: Air-cooled condenser with Bitzer compressor unit
• Temperature range: From –25 °C (freezer) to +5 °C (chilling room)
• Structure: Multi-room layout with separate temperature zones

💡 Note: The actual cost may vary depending on specific temperature requirements, room layout, and equipment brands. To obtain an accurate quotation, a detailed design proposal and on-site inspection are recommended.

How Much Can It Store?

A 3000 m³ cold storage can typically store around 600–700 tons of mixed food products (fruits, vegetables, meat, and seafood), depending on pallet density and stacking height.

Investment Return Example

To help international buyers understand the long-term economic benefit, let’s take a real-world example:

• Project location: Malaysia
• Cold storage capacity: 3000 m³ (≈ 700 tons of mixed food products)
• Total construction cost: ≈ USD 150,000
• Average power consumption: ≈ 300 kWh/day
• Monthly energy cost: ≈ USD 3,000
• Average monthly storage rental income: ≈ USD 10,000
• ROI period: About 1.5 – 2 years

This means the cold storage investment can be fully recovered within two years through daily operations or cold-chain rental income — a solid return for food logistics and processing companies.