PROJECT
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
Continued from page 1
GoChill: pushing the boundaries beyond‘ just a cold store’
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Photos by Ilana Koegelenberg MRE
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After more than a decade in the agricultural freight logistics game, the directors of GoReefers Logistics decided it was time to invest in their own cold storage facility under the umbrella of the GoGlobal group of companies, providing clients with complete perishable goods solutions.
They initially investigated purchasing an existing property and refurbishing it, but in the end opted for a custom-designed and purpose-built new facility to suit their needs— and the needs of their clients. And so, the GoChill project got under way.
The project was completed in 2016 with MRE as the refrigeration contractors and WSP the design consultant for the refrigeration and insulated panelling scopes of work. Practical completion was in May 2016, with final completion being during August that year. Various sections of the facility came online throughout this period.
A COMPLETE SOLUTION
GoChill is a new, ultra-modern, independent, and purpose-built cold storage and fresh fruit handling facility situated close to the Port of Durban in
1. The new GoChill cold store in KwaZulu-Natal.
2. Mycom N8M ammonia compressors in the plant room.
3. Liquid receiver vessel in the condenser yard.
KwaZulu-Natal. With its highly skilled and experienced team, it forms part of the integrated logistical solutions offered by the GoGlobal Group.
The cold store is located only 20 minutes from the port, with no inner-city congestion to deal with— allowing easy access and quick turnaround of incoming trucks from the production areas. It offers a variety of storage solutions, including weighing of cargo, ambient and chilled storage, cold sterilisation protocol shipments, container plug-ins, and transport to port.
Through the use of a modern racking system and a sophisticated electronic pallet tracking system, they ensure access to every pallet, thus enabling clients to manage their load specification and stock rotation with increased efficiency.
The GoChill facility is about 6 500m 2 in size and can store up to 6 000 pallets: 4 500 commercial; 1 000 steri; and 500 ambient pallets. It houses about 35 different clients during peak season, focusing predominantly on citrus. However, in the off-season, they also store other products requiring temperature control, like vegetables and deciduous fruits.
The company is currently in the process of expanding the facility to accommodate the growing demand of their clients. But this was anticipated, and the refrigeration plant was designed to keep up with the future plans too. There is a huge demand for steri storage, in particular.
www. coldlinkafrica. co. za COLD LINK AFRICA • October 2018