A spokeswoman for NewCold told Food Manufacture spaces at the facility were filling up fast: “NewCold now have 30,000 spaces still available at their peak, but are currently working with potential customers on filling that space. Their plan is to get to 120,000 pallets average storage by the end of 2019.”
The 16.5-acre (6.7-hectare) site has capacity to store 143,000 pallets at any one time, is expected to handle 3m pallets annually and boasts a total volume of 4m cubic metres. Products can be stored at a constant -23oC.
“Today sees the culmination of six years’ dedicated work,” announced NewCold country director Jon Miles at the opening ceremony. “The opening of a food-handling facility which, in terms of size, performance, sustainability and low energy consumption, raises the bar to new heights – until now, not seen in the UK.
“Not only does the facility operate at around 50% of the energy consumed by conventional deep-frozen storage sites, but also, given the proximity to the motorway network, 90% of NewCold’s delivery points can be reached and returned from within a driver’s shift. This improves customer service and keeps ‘food miles’ to an absolute minimum.”
Commercial partnerships
Mark Slaughter, director general for investment at the Department for International Trade (DIT), highlighted the importance of existing commercial partnerships between the UK, the Netherlands and numerous other countries in which NewCold operates.
“I am delighted that the DIT, working in partnership with Wakefield Council, has been able to support NewCold to deliver a truly world-class facility, bringing over 200 highly valued jobs to the area. I know that the completion of this site is just the start for NewCold, and our international economic department stands ready to help the company further expand their UK presence.”
Miles said NewCold had so far committed around £100m on build cost, and its growth plans over the coming two years would entail further investment, including the recruitment of an additional 70 personnel.
NewCold Advanced Cold Logistics made its first foray into the UK in 2015, opening a highly automated, 40m-high cold storage plant on a greenfield site in Wakefield, Yorkshire.
The company runs advanced cold-store facilities in the UK, France, Germany and Poland.