The highest cold store in the Benelux is being built in Tilburg, with space for 42,000 pallets of fries

It attracts quite a bit of attention, the dizzying weaving of steel, which now rises high above the other business premises on Vossenberg (Tilburg, The Netherlands).

It can be seen from all corners of the industrial estate and passers-by regularly marvel at the spectacular mega construction. Workers are asked almost as often: what kind of building will this be?!

Fries, lots of fries

They have to go to Agristo for the answer to that question. Originally a West Flemish family business, which also opened a Tilburg location after a takeover in 2001, it specializes in frozen potato products. Rösti's, croquettes and mashed potatoes, but especially fries.
 

A lot of fries. So much so that the already existing (and certainly not small) cold store on the Vossenberg, which was only put into use in 2012, already has too little capacity.

That is why frozen products from Tilburg are now often stored at other locations pending shipment to worldwide customers.

Sven Gommers, Project Engineer of Agristo:
 

"Every day ten trucks now drive from Tilburg to Agristo locations in Belgium. It is of course much more efficient logistically and better for the environment if those products are simply stored here in Tilburg."

Good neighbor

That is why Agristo started looking for a suitable location for a second cold store in Tilburg. It was found nearby. Across the street, on the site of another family business: Remmers Bouwgroep BV.

That had no concrete purpose for the plot and a land deal was quickly concluded: Agristo had his desired location for a cold store and good neighbor Remmers was allowed to build it.

Together with Shäfer, which builds the steel structure, and insulation company Isocab.
 Maarten Buijvoets, project leader from Remmers:
 

"We are building the dispatch center and have laid the foundation for the cold store. It will be built on 1000 piles with a circumference of 50 centimeters."

Although the Tilburg construction company already has 111 years of experience with commercial housing, a cold store of this size is something new.

Maarten Buijvoets:
 

"It will soon be -20 degrees in the building. To prevent the cold from sinking into the ground, we installed an insulated floor, with underfloor heating underneath."

Cooling system

The enormous cold store is cooled by means of a closed pump system with long, vertical pipes.

Sven Gommers:
 

"We pump liquid ammonia upwards through those pipes, where the ammonia evaporates. We suck the ammonia gas back to an installation below, where the gas is condensed back into liquid. The cold store is cooled with the energy generated by this process."

 To reduce the risk of fire in the cold store, the oxygen percentage is also reduced by spreading nitrogen throughout the building.

It goes without saying that all movements in the cold store will soon be fully automated.

After the truck has been automatically unloaded at the shopping center, the thousands of pallets are transported remotely via conveyor belts, elevators and eight cranes to the correct floor and rack.

One degree a day

The worldwide problems with the supply of building materials have slightly delayed the delivery of the silo warehouse, but at the end of this year the highest cold store in the Benelux can be 'cold drawn'.

One degree a day, so that the falling temperature does not cause the building to shrink too quickly.

In the meantime, a large 'white shell' of facade panels has been applied around the steel construction.

Richard Marijnissen, commercial director of Remmers Bouwgroep, expects that more companies will opt for high-rise buildings in the coming years.

Richard Marijnissen:
 

"We notice it in applications for the construction of new distribution centers. The available space on industrial estates is limited. Then you have to be informed."

 Just like Agristo. But how many fries can you actually fit in such a 47.5-metre high silo warehouse with a surface area of ​​7,000 square meters?

Sven Gommers:
 

"The maximum capacity is 42,000 pallets of 800 to 1000 kilos. So 42 million kilos of fries."