NewCold invests $160m to expand its Victorian cold chain facility

Netherlands-based cold chain logistics company NewCold is investing a further $160 million in its Victorian cold storage facility.

NewCold also announced it has signed food manufacturer Simplot Australia as new customers.

The expansion will more than double the size of its Melbourne 2 facility. At 43 metres high, the site will expand from 115,000 pallet positions to 225,000, an increase of 110,000 pallets, and will include a container park.

The extension will also feature 30,000 for ambient/chilled and 85,000 pallet positions for frozen goods.

The expanded facility is scheduled to be operational in 2022. Simplot will transition all of its frozen products in 2023.

Simplot Australia Managing Director, Graham Dugdale, said they are excited to be partnering with NewCold on their future Victorian frozen warehouse solution.

“We were attracted to Newcold’s fully automated AS/RS high bay solution, world-class systems, energy efficiency, and productivity, which stand above conventional cold storage solutions,” Dugdale said.

“The new facility will ensure Simplot can continue to efficiently deliver the products that Australia’s leading retail and foodservice customers depend on and ultimately provide an improved customer experience,” he said.

For NewCold Founder & CEO Bram Hage, the expansion promises great opportunities for NewCold and the cold storage industry in Australia.

“It is very pleasing to see our continued investment and growth in Australia as we seek to build a long-term strategic relationship with Simplot. Our robust global pipeline includes the delivery of at least six new capital projects, as we continue to develop multiple large-scale automated facilities across Europe, Australia and North America,” Hage said.

“This momentum confirms a very positive future for customers and an innovation boost for the industry. As we continue to expand our global presence, we support local communities in efforts to foster economic growth and create high-quality employment opportunities,” he said.

The Melbourne cold storage facility will use state-of-the-art technology including automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) to automatically move and store products in the high-bay warehouse.

Mobilisation and construction activities started at the end of May 2021.

Source: NewCold