Cold Storage

Project Details

The successful design and build of this 4 Green Star cold storage facility at Hamilton’s Ruakura Superhub is an impressive achievement given the accelerated timeframe for a project of this scale. Valued at $40 million, the state-of-the-art facility exemplifies sustainability, efficiency and innovation and is testament to Apollo’s expertise in the delivery of design and build projects.

Situated on a 30,000m² site, the facility comprises two 2,500m² freezers, two 2,500m² chillers and offers a total of 16,760 pallets spaces with versatile storage solutions to cater for both short-term transit and long-term storage needs. Its primary function is to store and distribute a mixture of imported and local frozen and chilled consumer goods throughout the Waikato region.

Apollo made a commitment to the client to complete this project under a rapid construction timeline of just 12 months. During this tight timeframe, several challenges threatened to derail the project including ongoing environmental challenges, infrastructure and site access hurdles, as well as labour shortages, however the team were determined to push through. By engaging subcontractors early, Apollo was able to develop a successful project design and delivery programme which, despite all these challenges, remained fixed.

Another true indicator of the project’s success lies in its sustainability credentials, with the facility becoming New Zealand’s first cold store to achieve a 4 Green Star rating. This remarkable achievement sets a new benchmark for future cold storage developments across the country.

A huge part of the project was ensuring that maximum operational accuracy and efficiency was achieved for the tenant. A Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) guidewire system was incorporated which calculates the optimal trajectory for reaching rack locations, enabling simultaneous horizontal and vertical movement of mechanical handling equipment. This minimises energy consumption and maximises overall efficiency in operations.

The facility has received overwhelmingly positive feedback. Its success testament to the dedication of the Apollo team, their robust systems and deep design management expertise.