China cold storage solution provider
When planning cold storage, “per square meter” pricing is misleading. What really matters is:
✅ How much will it cost in total?
✅ How many tons of product can you actually store?
✅ Which type gives you the best ROI for your business?
A 400m² cold room is a popular size for regional distributors, farm cooperatives, and pharma logistics—but costs and capacity vary dramatically by use case.
Below are three real-world scenarios based on actual turnkey projects.
📦 Option 1: Fresh Produce Cold Room (0°C to 5°C)
For apples, citrus, potatoes, leafy greens
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Floor Area | 400 m² |
| Ceiling Height | 3.0 m |
| Total Volume | 1,200 m³ |
| Storage Capacity | 220 – 250 metric tons |
💡 Ideal for seasonal harvest storage or supplying supermarkets.
💰 Total Investment:
55,000– 70,000 USD (turnkey installed)
Includes:
- 100mm PU insulation
- 15–20HP compressor
- Humidity control (85–90% RH)
- Basic digital monitoring
📦 Option 2: Frozen Food Cold Room (-18°C)
For meat, seafood, poultry, frozen meals
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Floor Area | 400 m² |
| Ceiling Height | 3.0 m |
| Total Volume | 1,200 m³ |
| Storage Capacity | 280 – 310 metric tons |
💡 Thicker insulation reduces usable volume slightly, but ensures stable -18°C.
💰 Total Investment:
70,000– 90,000 USD (turnkey installed)
Includes:
- 150mm PU panels
- Bitzer/Copeland 30–40HP semi-hermetic compressor
- Ceiling evaporators with defrost
- Manual sliding doors + alarm system
⚠️ Why higher cost? Lower temps demand more power, better sealing, and thicker insulation.
📦 Option 3: Pharmaceutical Cold Room (2°C to 8°C, GSP-Compliant)
For vaccines, insulin, biologics
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Floor Area | 400 m² |
| Ceiling Height | 3.0 m |
| Total Volume | 1,200 m³ |
| Storage Capacity | 200 – 240 pallets (～18,000–25,000 cartons) |
💡 Storage measured in pallets due to strict spacing and airflow requirements.
💰 Total Investment:
90,000– 105,000 USD (turnkey, audit-ready)
Includes:
- Redundant compressors (N+1 configuration)
- Backup power interface (generator or dual-grid)
- 24/7 remote monitoring with SMS/email alerts
- Temperature mapping support for GSP/GDP validation
- Air curtains + high-integrity door seals
🔑 Critical: Must pass regulatory audits—so reliability > cost savings.
🌍 Real-World Insight
A fresh produce distributor in Dubai, UAE built a 400m² chilled cold room (0–5°C) to handle seasonal imports and local harvests:
- Fresh Produce Room (0–5°C): $ 68,000 → stores 320 tons of dates, citrus, leafy greens, and berries for major supermarket chains across the Emirates
Result: Reduced spoilage from 18% to under 5%, enabled year-round supply during summer heat (ambient up to 48°C), and secured long-term contracts with two national retail groups—boosting annual revenue by 35%.