Global integrated logistics company Maersk is expanding its cold chain logistics operations in India with a new cold store facility in Mehsana, Gujarat.
The company has broken ground on the 260,000ft2 facility, which will be built exclusively for HyFun Foods and will provide temperature-controlled storage solutions for perishable frozen processed food items.
Maersk’s new cold store facility will be constructed close to the customer’s manufacturing facility. The 14,700-pallet facility will be built at the Fanidhar Mega Food Park and will be one of India’s largest single-shed cold stores. The large facility will help the customer store all the cargo in a single facility instead of multiple smaller facilities before dispatch.
Vikash Agarwal, managing director, Maersk South Asia, explained, “Frozen food items need high-quality, unbroken cold chain logistics solutions to preserve their integrity. Our new, state-of-the-art facility at Mehsana will be equipped with the highest standards of temperature compliance, with a customized racking system to suit the customer’s exact requirements, and modern technology to ensure top-notch operational accuracy.”
Maersk’s existing integrated cold chain solution will continue to ensure that an unbroken cold chain logistics solution is provided to the customer as the cargo moves from the manufacturing facility. This includes landside transportation to the port by road and rail, coordination at the port, customs clearances and ocean transportation for all export cargo, making this investment a step toward a truly integrated and end-to-end logistics solution.
“Food security and quality are our topmost priority for ultimate customer satisfaction,” said Kamlesh Karamchandani, director – sales and marketing, HyFun Foods. “To be able to deliver on those, we were looking at redesigning our supply chain model in a way where an unbroken cold chain becomes the backbone of how we move our processed food. Maersk’s single-window solution for the entire logistics cold chain, strengthened by the brand-new cold store facility, simplifies supply chains for us.”
The facility will boast operational and sustainable excellence using ammonia refrigeration, a natural gas with zero global warming potential (GWP). The facility will also use high-efficiency compressors that operate with lower power consumption. Additionally, PIR panels, which are built for fire resistance and have lower thermal conductivity, will be used at the cold store facility.
Maersk will invest in solar energy to power the facility to ensure that the logistics solutions offered are in line with the decarbonizing targets set up for net zero by 2040. Green Building requirements like rain harvesting, a sewage treatment plant and zero discharge are also a part of the construction and operations plan.
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