Kloosterboer and the Port of Rotterdam Authority have revealed that they are investing in a new cold storage venture, Rotterdam Cool Port, which will be located on the City Terminal site in the Waalhaven/Eemhaven.
Kloosterboer's new cold storage facility will be used for the storage and handling of refrigerated and frozen cargo in reefer containers, while accompanying services such as empty depots and food inspection, will also be set up here in the future.
Construction is expected to begin at the site early next year, with the terminal expected to become operational in 2017.
‘We are extremely proud about the start of Rotterdam Cool Port,' said Ronald Paul, chief operating officer at the Port of Rotterdam authority. 'We, as a port, have much experience in the cold storage sector and Rotterdam Cool Port is a valuable expansion of operations in this field.
'As this location has many multimodal connections with the container cluster on the Maasvlakte as well as all surrounding Greenports and the final destinations in Europe, Cool Port will make a real contribution to the sustainability and efficiency of the supply chain for fresh produce,' he added.
The terminal will boast a capacity of 40,000 temperature-controlled pallet spaces to handle an estimated minimum of 400,000 pallets a year, with an additional 14,500m2 to accommodate other services such as packing, sorting and cross-docking.
“We are very pleased to have the opportunity to set up business at Cool Port,' noted Kloosterboer chief executive Hans Kroes. 'Here, we want to offer our clients the highest possible level of service in the perishable goods sector, via a state-of-the-art terminal.'
Dutch fresh produce company Total Produce BV, part of the eponymous Ireland-based multinational, has already revealed that it has signed an agreement with Kloosterboer which will see it relocate to the Waalhaven area of Rotterdam.
Thanks to the location, shippers will no longer need to transport cargo from the terminal to the cold store, so that import and export costs can be substantially reduced, Kloosterboer noted, while the fact that Rotterdam Cool Port is being developed directly adjacent to container terminals makes optimum use of reefer container equipment.
In addition to this, Rotterdam occupies a prominent position in the cold storage sector because the port serves as the first port of call in Europe for many shipping companies. Speed is crucial for perishable goods. Consequently, a whole range of specialised firms and temperature-controlled storage facilities have established themselves in Rotterdam and the surrounding area through the years.
