Cold Room & Cold Storage Resource Center

Transmission load = U-value × area × ΔT. For 80mm PUF panels (k ≈ 0.022 W/mK) the U-value is ~0.27 W/m²K. A 100 m³ chamber at 2°C with 35°C ambient sees roughly 1.5–2 kW of transmission heat.

Product load = mass × specific heat × ΔT plus respiration heat for fruit and vegetables. Pre-cooling fresh produce from 30°C to 4°C within 24 hours typically dominates the design load.

Always add a 20% safety margin for door openings, future stock increase and condenser fouling over time. Specify dual-compressor parallel racks for chambers above 50 TR — redundancy prevents total spoilage if one unit fails.

Walls & roof: 80mm for chillers (2–8°C), 100mm for freezers (-18 to -25°C), 125mm for blast freezers (-35°C and below). Floor PUF panels go up to 150mm under heavy pallet loads.

Skin selection matters: PPGI (pre-painted galvanised iron) for general cold rooms, stainless steel SS304 for pharma and dairy, food-grade FRP for high-humidity rooms. The cheap GI option corrodes within 3–5 years in coastal sites.

Insist on tongue-and-groove with cam-lock fastening. Butt-jointed panels with field-applied silicone cause cold bridges and condensation — they look cheaper at quotation stage and cost more in product loss later.

Under the MIDH Operational Guidelines 2025, the cost norm for Cold Storage Type-1 (single temperature) is ₹9,600 per MT in civil construction with PUF/PIR panels and ₹12,000 per MT in civil + PEB construction. Type-2 (multi-commodity, multi-temperature) is ₹12,000 per MT. All are capped at 5,000 MT capacity.

NHB’s cold storage scheme covers stores above 5,000 MT, with eligible cost worked out on capacity at NHB’s per-MT norms. Bank loan is mandatory and no work may start before NHB’s Grant of Clearance (GoC). Subsidy is released to the bank as back-end credit after the project commissions and the joint inspection committee approves.

AIF (Agriculture Infrastructure Fund) is run by the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare; banks lend under it and NABARD is one of its channels. Farm-gate infrastructure — cold rooms, ripening chambers, pack houses, reefer vans — qualifies for 3% interest subvention for up to 7 years on loans up to ₹2 crore, with the CGTMSE guarantee fee covered. AIF gives no capital subsidy; check the current window with your bank.