How Much Does It Cost to Convert a 2,000m² Factory into a Cold Room? (Total Investment + Storage Capacity)

Repurposing an idle warehouse or factory into cold storage is one of the smartest ways to enter the cold chain business—especially when you already own the building. But before you start, commercial clients ask:
✅ What’s the total cost?
✅ How many tons can I actually store?
✅ Is it faster and cheaper than new construction?

📦 Storage Capacity: What Can a 2,000m² Retrofitted Cold Room Hold?

💡 Ideal for regional distribution hubs, export packers, or food security reserves.

💰 Total Investment: What You Actually Pay

Converting an existing 2,000m² industrial building into a fully operational cold room typically costs:

380,000– 480,000 USD (turnkey, including insulation, refrigeration, controls, and commissioning)

✅ Saves 20–30% vs. new-build cold storage—since civil works (foundation, roof, walls) are already in place.

Key Cost Drivers:

• Insulation: 120–150mm PU panels installed on walls/ceiling/floor (critical for thermal break)
• Refrigeration: 60–80HP Bitzer/Copeland screw compressor system (scalable by temp zone)
• Doors & Air Seals: High-speed roll-up doors + air curtains to minimize heat gain
• Controls: Centralized monitoring with remote alerts
• Floor Treatment: Moisture-proof, load-bearing epoxy or insulated concrete topping

⚠️ Critical: Existing building must have adequate structural strength, drainage, and power supply—a free site assessment is always recommended first.

🌍 Real-World Insight

A food exporter in Accra, Ghana converted a 2,000m² abandoned textile factory into a multi-purpose cold facility:

• Total Investment: $ 440,000 USD
• Configuration: Single-zone –18°C frozen storage
• Capacity: 780 metric tons of frozen fish and poultry
• Result:
  • Cut construction time from 6 months → 10 weeks
  • Reduced spoilage from 15% → 3%
  • Secured contracts with two European supermarket chains
  • Achieved ROI in 18 months

“We didn’t need a new building—we just needed smart reuse.”
— Operations Manager, West Africa Cold Chain Ltd.