Logistics company Kloosterboer has received the first containers at its new cold storage facility at the Dutch port of Rotterdam, in what is being hailed as a "big step forward." 

The shipment, made up of pomegranates from Total Produce, arrived at Maasvlakte on the MSC container ship “Sasha" from where they were transported by barge from the Kramer Home Terminal to the 'Cool Port' for landing, control and storage.

Kloosterboer Cool Port has a storage capacity of 40,000 pallets, of which 30,000 is dedicated to cold storage and 10,000 to deep-freeze storage.

On the ground floor there is a 7,500 m2 expedition area featuring 38 dock shelters and on the first floor there is a packing and unpacking facility designed specifically for the handling of fruit and vegetables, also equipped with ripening rooms.

"The Cool Port project is a big step forward for Kloosterboer. It is an innovative, logistics solution which incorporates barging, automated process management and information provision in the supply chain," CEO Jaco Hooij said in a release.

"The location has proved attractive and we can already conclude that Cool Port is a great success. Even before the doors were opened 80% of the storage space had already been reserved resulting in the need for and reality of Cool Port II growing one step closer."

The company said the "ideal location" at the port's City Terminal - with its tri-modal connections by sea, rail and road - provided a "unique financial advantage in terms of logistic services" to and from the Maasvlakte.

“Following a long period of preparation and intensive cooperation with Kloosterboer Cool Port, last week we reached an important milestone when Cool Port Rotterdam received our consignment - the very first to pass through its doors," Total Produce managing director Michel Jansen said.

"The entire team here at Total Produce Rotterdam is now looking forward to seeing the volume of our goods handled at Cool Port continue to rise as well as taking full advantage of all the possibilities that this unique location has to offer."

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