How Much Does It Cost to Build a Fruit Cold Storage Per Square Meter?

Fruit cannot be stored for long periods at ambient temperature without rapid quality loss. While traditional methods such as cellar storage were used in the past, modern fruit supply chains rely almost entirely on cold storage systems to extend shelf life, stabilize quality, and support year-round sales.

Today, fruit cold storage facilities are generally divided into two main types:
standard refrigerated cold storage and controlled atmosphere (CA) cold storage.
Their construction cost, storage capacity, and return on investment vary significantly.

Typical Cost per Square Meter for Fruit Cold Storage

From international project experience, fruit cold storage construction costs usually fall within the following ranges:

• Standard fruit cold storage:
  USD 130 – 150 per m²
• Controlled atmosphere (CA) fruit cold storage:
  USD 220 – 280 per m²

The final cost per square meter depends on several practical factors rather than a fixed unit price.

What Drives the Cost of a Fruit Cold Storage Project?

Cold Storage Size and Scale

Smaller cold rooms typically have a higher cost per square meter, as fixed equipment and installation costs are distributed over less space. Larger facilities benefit from better cost efficiency.

Storage Temperature and Technology

• Standard fruit storage usually operates between 0°C and 5°C
• CA storage requires additional gas control systems (O₂ / CO₂ regulation), increasing both initial investment and technical complexity

Internal Layout and Zoning

Multiple compartments, independent temperature zones, and frequent access doors increase material usage and installation labor, which raises overall cost.

Equipment Configuration

Higher-end compressors, automation systems, and monitoring platforms improve energy efficiency but increase upfront investment.

This is why a well-optimized design from an experienced cold storage contractor is essential to control cost while maintaining performance.

How Much Fruit Can a Cold Storage Facility Hold?

In fruit cold storage projects, a widely used industry reference is:

• 1 ton of fruit ≈ 5–6 m³ of cold storage volume

For example:

• A 1,000 m² fruit cold storage, with a 4 m internal height
• Total volume: 4,000 m³
• Approximate storage capacity: 650 – 800 tons of fruit

Actual capacity depends on pallet size, stacking method, and whether racking systems are used.