Logistics service provider Kloosterboer has signed an agreement with food producer Findus to design and operate a fully automated refrigerated warehouse in Bjuv, Sweden. Destined to become the largest high-rise coldstore in the country and provide space to multiple customers who operate on the Swedish market, the 38-meter high facility will contain 74,000 pallet positions.
Findus is a member of the Findus Nordis group, which has approximately 1,200 employees and generated sales of SEK 4.5 billion last year. Ranking first in the nation’s frozen food segment, its wide assortment of products ranges from frozen fish- and meat-based ready meals and seafood specialities to side dishes, crispy pancakes, vegetables, baked goods, snacks and more.
The company’s main production operations are in the southern town of Bjuv, situated in the south of Sweden. The strategic region, featuring the Helsingborg harbor and the bridge connecting Copenhagen to Malmö, is regarded as the nation’s “port of entry” for multimodal freight transport.
The coldstore, which represents an investment of EUR 70 million, will be linked via conveyor systems to the Findus factories. Raw materials and semi-finished products will be sent automatically and just in time in the correct sequence to various production lines. Pallets containing finished products are then automatically returned into the warehouse.
The facility is being built according to the latest sustainability standards. Its optimal building design allows for 45% less energy consumption than a conventional refrigerated warehouse. With the help of intelligent algorithms, the highly efficient material handling system takes care of intake, outtake and storage of pallets.
As the coldstore is situated next to Findus’ production facilities, there will be a reduction of transport of close to 100,000 kilometers per year. This will result in a 94,000 less kilograms of CO2 emissions annually.
Ijmuiden, Holland-headquartered Kloosterboer operates a network of refrigerated warehouses offering clients approximately 3 million cubic meters of space at 15 locations (soon to be 16, once the Bjuv facility opens) in the Netherlands, France, Canada and Alaska. Combined storage capacity exceeds 500,000 tons. The family-owned company, in business for 85 years, employs more than 600 people.
