Haocool
If you have ever handled fresh blueberries, you know how delicate they are. They bruise easily, lose moisture fast, and spoil within days if not stored at the right temperature.
This is exactly the challenge we tackled for a client in Sichuan Liangshan, a region known for its high-altitude blueberry production. They needed a cold storage facility designed specifically for blueberries – not a generic cold room, but a purpose-built facility that handles everything from pre-cooling to sorting and long-term storage.
Here is how we approached it.
Project Overview
The facility has a total volume of 3,000 cubic metres, divided into four rooms. There are cold storage rooms and pre-cooling rooms running at 0–5°C, plus sorting rooms kept at 10–20°C. The sorting rooms are warmer because workers need to handle the fruit comfortably without it warming up too quickly.
The facility is scheduled to be completed by December 31, 2024. Once operational, it will be used exclusively for blueberry storage and processing, helping the client maintain freshness and quality through the supply chain.
Refrigeration System Design
We designed the refrigeration system to match the specific needs of each room.
For the cold storage rooms and sorting rooms, we installed Zhejiang Kaidi Emerson Copeland scroll compressor units. These come with condensers, solenoid valves, and pressure controllers – everything needed for stable, efficient cooling. Scroll compressors are a good fit here because they run quietly and handle medium-temperature applications well.
For the pre-cooling room, we used a different approach – a Bitzer semi-hermetic piston compressor condensing unit. Pre-cooling requires rapid heat removal, and piston compressors are well-suited for this job. They have excellent cooling capacity and can pull down the temperature quickly, which is exactly what you need when fresh-picked blueberries come in from the field.
Using two different compressor types in the same facility is not unusual. Each room has its own duty cycle and temperature range, so matching the equipment to the job makes the whole system more efficient.
Building the Cold Storage Envelope
The insulation panels are 50mm and 100mm polyurethane double-sided colour steel panels, with a B1 fire retardant rating. This thickness combination gives us good thermal performance while keeping the structure safe. The B1 rating is important – it means the panels resist ignition and slow down fire spread if the worst happens.
The storage doors are polyurethane double-sided colour steel single-opening sliding doors with a fully enclosed, frameless structure. They come with observation windows, rubber packaging, imported door hardware, and anti-condensation electric heating. The sealing strips are designed for high frost resistance, which matters because the cold rooms run at 0–5°C and condensation can be a problem.
The doors seal well and stay frost-free, even in humid conditions.
Why This Project Matters
Blueberries are a high-value crop, and post-harvest losses are a constant concern for growers. Without proper cold storage, a significant portion of the harvest can spoil before it reaches the market. This facility gives the client the ability to control the cold chain from the moment the fruit is picked.
The pre-cooling room is a key part of the design. It pulls field heat out of the blueberries quickly, before they go into long-term storage. That step alone can extend shelf life by several weeks.
Construction Progress
The project is moving through its construction phases. The cold storage panels have arrived on site and have been unloaded. The steel structure is being assembled, and workers are currently handling the roof details. Inside the cold storage, the layout is taking shape.
Once completed, the facility will provide a stable, energy-efficient environment for blueberry storage, helping the client reduce waste and maintain quality throughout the year.
Construction & Completion Photos
Blueberry
Cold storage board arrival
Unloading cold storage board
Steel structure under construction
Workers are processing the details of the cold storage roof
Real shot inside the cold storage