Cold Solutions, a temperature-controlled warehouse and logistics service provider, says it plans to invest $70 million in the construction of state-of-the-art, temperature-controlled cold storage warehouses in Kenya.
Cold Solution’s 15,000-square-meter (161,459-square-foot) flagship facility in the Tatu City Special Economic Zone in Nairobi will be the largest, most advanced and efficient facility in the region, the company said. The facility is flexibly designed to cater to numerous temperature ranges from +26 to -40 C and multiple product ranges, from fresh fruit and vegetables, to pharmaceuticals and vaccines, meats and poultry, and frozen foods.
Cold Solutions Kenya is a portfolio company of ARCH Cold Chain Solutions East Africa Fund, a private equity fund advised by ARCH Emerging Markets Partners Limited.
“Cold Solutions’ one-stop-shops are designed to allow businesses to keep track of products in real-time and facilitate transportation across East Africa through temperature-controlled trucks, either within the inner city or to long-haul destinations,” said Jared Irving, managing director for ARCH.
The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that more than 40% of food in Sub-Saharan Africa perishes before it reaches a consumer. This can be as high as 60% for fresh produce in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“We are delighted to welcome Cold Solutions’ transformational cold storage complex to Tatu Industrial Park, which is home to more than 50 Kenyan, East African and multi-national businesses building best-in-class facilities in Kenya’s first operational Special Economic Zone,” said Chris Barron, Kenya country head for Rendeavour, Tatu City’s owner and developer.
Tatu City is a 5,000-acre, mixed-use development with homes, schools, offices, a shopping district, medical clinics, nature areas, a sport and entertainment complex, and manufacturing area for more than 150,000 residents, and tens of thousands of day visitors.
