The UK cold chain sector is a vital £14 billion industry supporting £53 billion in food, drink, and pharmaceutical sales. It handles almost half of all UK-produced food and beverages, with the market projected to grow from roughly USD 11.5 billion in 2024 to over USD 17 billion by 2029. Yorkshire and the North West are the dominant hubs, hosting 29% of the total cold storage space (38.5m sq ft), followed by the Midlands, data from the Cold Chain Federation reveals.
This article was first published in the June 1st 2026 issue of Warehouse & Logistics News, subscribe to the magazine by clicking here.
Working with Distrifresh, a Dutch temperature-controlled distribution operator, maxwell+spark analysed nearly two years of real-world performance data from its advantage.li battery-electric refrigeration systems operating across daily delivery routes. Across more than 1,800 monitored routes, approximately 95% were completed without any low-battery risk or operational disruption. Median battery usage per route remained low, indicating significant reserve capacity for longer or more demanding conditions. Because systems like advantage.li generate continuous telemetry, they offer visibility into how refrigeration is actually used — how long systems run, how energy is consumed, and where inefficiencies may exist.
Oakland International, a UK and Ireland specialist in temperature-controlled logistics and supply chain solutions, has announced the construction of a new 6,000 pallet capacity frozen cold store at its Bardon site, marking a significant investment in its long-term infrastructure strategy.
The development will increase Oakland International’s total frozen capacity across its network by approximately 30%, reinforcing its ability to support long term customer growth while further enhancing its range of value added services, including tempering solutions, at a time of continued growth and evolving requirements across retail and food supply chains, where resilience, flexibility and efficiency are increasingly critical. By expanding frozen capacity at Bardon, Oakland International is responding directly to customer demand for scalable, strategically located storage that can support both current volumes and future expansion, while enabling a single depot, multi temperature solution that simplifies supply chains and improves operational efficiency.
Swisslog, a leading provider of data-driven intralogistics automation, has announced its appointment as automation partner for Magnavale’s new frozen storage facility in Avonmouth, Bristol. The project, known as Magnavale Bristol, will be the second frozen high bay warehouse Swisslog delivers under a framework agreement with Magnavale (Sadel Group), a frozen high bay warehouse at Easton in Lincolnshire, which became fully operational at the end of 2024.
Global climate innovator Trane Technologies (NYSE:TT) and its Thermo King brand, a leader in sustainable transport temperature control solutions, acquired Transport-Kälte-Vertrieb (TKV), the largest of five independent Thermo King and Frigoblock dealers in Germany. The transaction closed on May 4, and the company continues to serve the southern Germany market, now operating as Thermo King Deutschland. The acquisition strengthens Thermo King’s industry-leading transport refrigeration service network across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), and follows recent acquisitions in the UK and Belgium.
As online shopping continues to grow, alongside the frozen food and Pharma logistics sectors, the cold chain is set to expand in the years ahead.
George Simpson
Features Editor
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