Shipping giant Maersk announced it has completed construction of its new cold storage facility in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and welcomed its first cargo, consisting of South African table grapes.  

The company seeks to continue ensuring reliable and secure end-to-end logistics for perishable goods, as demand for “seamless logistics for temperature-sensitive cargoes” increases.

South African exporter Grape Alliance was the first customer at the Rotterdam facility. 

"Our cold store significantly improves the speed and reliability of refrigerated supply chains, enhancing the quality of temperature-sensitive and frozen products on their way to European consumers," said Ole Trumpfheller, Managing Director of Maersk Area North Europe, which includes Benelux, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Poland.

The 35,000 sqm facility is located next to one of Europe’s most modern terminals at Maasvlakte II, operated by Maersk subsidiary APM Terminals. This proximity ensures smooth, efficient handling of refrigerated containers, allowing Maersk to offer integrated, resilient supply chain solutions directly from its Rotterdam hub, the firm stated.

With a capacity of over 34,000 pallet positions, the cold store is a key component of Maersk’s reefer and cold chain logistics services for pharmaceuticals, fruits, meat, and fish across North-West Europe. 

The facility also offers a convenient return of empty reefer containers to Maersk’s newly expanded Star Depot, minimizing detention and demurrage costs for customers.

Key features of the new cold storage facility include:

• Customs-bonded facility
• In-house veterinary inspection point
• Low-emission facility with BREEAM Excellent certification and renewable energy sources

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