China cold storage solution provider
Fresh oranges are now available all year round, thanks to modern cold storage technology. For wholesale distributors and orange-growing bases, building an orange cold storage facility has become an essential way to maintain freshness, reduce losses, and extend market supply.
Optimal Cold Storage Conditions for Oranges
To store oranges for several months, proper temperature and humidity control is critical.
Recommended storage conditions:
- Temperature: 3°C–5°C (safe range ±2°C)
- Below 3°C → risk of chilling injury (pitting, dry scald)
- Above 5°C → higher chance of mold growth and decay
- Relative Humidity: 80%–95%
- If humidity is low, use humidifiers to prevent dehydration
- Oxygen concentration: 17%–19%
- CO₂ concentration: Around 3%
Under controlled atmosphere storage, oranges can be stored 4–5 months while maintaining firmness, appearance, and nutritional value.
Actual view of a controlled atmosphere storage warehouse
How Much Does an Orange Cold Room Cost?
A commercial-grade orange cold storage room typically falls into the USD 280–420 per m² range, depending on insulation panels, compressors, cooling system type, and automation level.
Example Cost for a Standard Orange Cold Room
- Storage size: 1,000 m³
- Temperature: 3–5°C
- Investment cost: USD 85,000–130,000
- Storage capacity: 150–200 tons of fresh oranges
If you want to see real project details, check our Orange Cold Storage Engineering Cases here.
Investment & ROI Example
A client in South Africa (Limpopo Province) built a 1,200 m³ orange cold storage equipped with an air-cooled condensing unit and PU insulation panels.
- Investment: Around USD 105,000
- Storage Capacity: ~180 tons of oranges
- Energy Consumption: 25–35 kWh per ton per day
- Payback Period: Within 1.5–2 years, due to reduced spoilage and higher off-season selling price