Cold Storage and Controlled Atmosphere Rooms For Fresh Produce
Fruit keeps respiring after harvest. Temperature slows it down; controlled atmosphere nearly stops it. The difference between the two is measured in months of sellable shelf life and in the price the crop reaches out of season.
- 8 delivered projects
- 17 equipment lines
What Goes Wrong In Fruit and Vegetable Cold Storage
Harvest peak, storage shortfall
The crop arrives in weeks and has to sell over months. Our fruit projects run from a 1,000-ton strawberry CA store in Dandong to a 1,643 m2 controlled-atmosphere facility in North China.
Ethylene and premature ripening
Ethylene scrubbing is critical for grapes and other sensitive varieties; CA with O2 at 2-3% and CO2 at 1-3% can extend shelf life by 3-6 months.
Humidity that dries or rots the crop
Grapes hold at minus 1 to 0 degrees with 85-95% humidity. Coil selection and airflow decide whether the room holds that band or dehydrates the fruit.
Variety-specific tolerance
Storage behaviour differs by variety — Eastern European grape varieties tolerate storage better than American ones. Room design follows the crop, not a generic template.
What Howcool Delivers On These Projects
- CA room gas-tight envelope with O2 and CO2 control
- High-humidity coil selection and airflow design
- Ethylene scrubbing where the crop requires it
- Pre-cooling and holding chambers on one plant
- Panel envelope and insulated doors sized for seasonal loading traffic
- Logged temperature and humidity history per chamber
Products Used On Fruit and Vegetable Projects
Monoblock Refrigeration System
Compact, all-in-one refrigeration system for small cold storage — fresh and frozen food products.
Hermetic Condensing Unit
Versatile unit with main control board, temperature control and operation board in one convenient package.
Semi-Hermetic Condensing Unit
Copper tube + aluminum fin air-cooled condenser OR high-efficiency shell-tube water-cooled condenser options.
Multi-Compressor Pack
Multiple compressors in parallel sharing discharge, suction, condenser and receiver for larger cooling capacity.
Screw Compressor Parallel Rack
Screw compressor parallel rack — high-capacity, continuous-duty cooling for industrial cold storage and food processing.
Scroll Outdoor Condensing Unit
Outdoor weather-proof condensing unit with Copeland scroll compressors. Plug-and-play installation for small-to-medium cold rooms.
Ammonia (NH₃) Refrigeration System
Industrial NH₃ refrigeration plant. Best efficiency for large cold storage, ice rinks, and food processing >5000 m³.
CO₂ Cascade / Transcritical System
CO₂ (R744) cascade and transcritical systems for ultra-low-temperature applications. Future-proof, GWP=1 refrigerant.
8 Fruit and Vegetable Facilities Built By Howcool
1,643 m² Controlled-Atmosphere Cold Storage
1,643 m²/5,749 m³ CA cold storage with 6 partitioned rooms and Hanbell screw parallel refrigeration system.
1,000-Ton Strawberry CA Cold Storage — Dandong
1,000-ton strawberry CA cold storage divided into 12 partition rooms — extends harvest season.
Long-Time Fresh Fruit Keeping Cold Storage
CA (controlled atmosphere) cold storage for extended fruit shelf life.
Grape Cold Storage Warehouse
Dedicated grape storage with precise humidity and ethylene management.
Pitaya (Dragon Fruit) Cold Storage Warehouse
Specialised tropical fruit cold storage for pitaya — chill-sensitive handling.
Pear Cold Storage Warehouse
CA + precise cooling for long-term pear preservation.
Natural Flower Cold Storage Warehouse
1,000m² flower preservation — hypobaric storage and high-pressure preservation.
Fruit & Vegetable Wholesale Cold Storage
Wholesale-scale multi-room fruit & vegetable cold storage with sorting area.
Reading For Fruit and Vegetable Buyers
Grape Cold Storage Operating Procedure Temperature Humidity and CA
A complete guide to grape cold storage — variety tolerance, optimal temperature ranges, humidity and CA best practices.
1500 Square Metre Agricultural Products Centre Freezer Launched
Multi-zone cold storage for the regional agricultural products distribution market.
CA Controlled Atmosphere Storage For Fruits Explained
How controlling oxygen and CO₂ levels extends fruit shelf life beyond conventional refrigeration.
Fruit and Vegetable Cold Storage Questions
What does controlled atmosphere storage add over normal cold storage?
CA lowers oxygen and raises carbon dioxide to slow respiration. For fruit this can extend storage life by 3 to 6 months beyond refrigeration alone.
What temperature and humidity do grapes need?
Minus 1 to 0 degrees with 85-95% relative humidity, with ethylene scrubbing to prevent premature ripening.
Can a CA room be used for normal cold storage out of season?
Yes. A CA chamber runs as a conventional cold room when the gas control is not in use, which is how most packhouses use the space between harvests.
Discuss A Fruit and Vegetable Facility
Send the product, volume, temperature and site location. We reply within 24 hours with a preliminary design and budget estimate.