🧊 Growth in the biopharma cold chain market

Welcome back to CubeCold News where we cover the latest developments in the cold chain industry and temperature-controlled logistics.

In today’s edition:

• Growth in the biopharma cold chain market

• DP World’s £1bn UK investment to go ahead despite tensions

• Thermo King hails success of self-charging reefer trailer

• Emergent Cold LatAm is expanding its automated warehouse in Santiago Region, Chile

News

Growth in the biopharma cold chain market The biopharma cold chain market is rapidly expanding, driven by the increasing demand for temperature-sensitive biologics, vaccines, and gene therapies.

• Cold chain products are growing at a projected rate of 13% annually, with 50% of new medicines requiring cold storage. By 2030, the biopharma cold chain market is expected to reach $108.9 billion, driven by rising demand for biologics and advanced therapies.

• Six key components—packaging, manufacturing, warehousing, transportation, monitoring, and consulting—are central to the cold chain ecosystem.

• Packaging and warehousing are growing quickly, while real-time monitoring and last-mile delivery are becoming more important due to stricter regulatory requirements and patient-centric distribution needs.

• Packaging is expected to be the largest value pool, projected to account for $39 billion by 2030, while warehousing is the fastest-growing segment. However, transportation faces margin pressures due to rising competition and cost challenges.

• Mergers, vertical integration, and ESG considerations are shaping the competitive landscape, with a focus on building resilient, scalable, and compliant cold chain solutions to meet evolving market demands. (download full report here)

DP World’s £1bn UK investment to go ahead despite tensions DP World has announced a £1 billion investment in its London Gateway port operation in the UK.

• The expansion plan includes adding two new shipping berths and a second rail terminal, aiming to make London Gateway the UK's largest container port within five years.

• The project will create 400 new jobs and increase the port's capacity by about 50%.

• This investment comes after brief political tensions, but has been confirmed as part of a larger £63 billion investment package announced at the UK's International Investment Summit.

• The expansion will convert a former oil refinery site into a major logistics hub, with the recent addition of a £350 million electrically-powered fourth berth.

• Total investment by DP World at London Gateway will exceed £3 billion upon completion of the project. (link)

Thermo King hails success of self-charging reefer trailer Thermo King, a leader in refrigerated transport solutions, has completed a successful trial of its self-charging electric refrigeration system for trailers in collaboration with Spanish logistics company Carreras.

• The refrigerated semi-trailer covered around 55,000 km entirely in electric mode while on the road, showcasing the system's capability to operate without relying on external charging.

• Carreras also used biofuel, reducing truck and trailer emissions by 90 percent.

• The technology integrates Thermo King’s Advancer hybrid refrigeration unit, an AxlePower energy recovery system, and the Energ-e battery pack, which captures and generates energy from the trailer's movement, cutting operating costs and minimizing direct carbon emissions.

• Carreras’ director of sustainability, Héctor Benito Serón, emphasized the company's goal of a 50 percent reduction in carbon footprint.

• Francisco Cambra Soriano, area sales manager at Thermo King, noted that the system addresses growing consumer demand for sustainable, low-emission supply chains, positioning the technology as a promising solution for greener transport logistics. (link)

Emergent Cold LatAm advances expansion of its automated warehouse in Santiago Region, Chile Emergent Cold LatAm, the fastest-growing temperature-controlled food storage provider in Latin America, is expanding its El Olivo facility in Maipú, Santiago, Chile.

• This expansion will triple the facility's capacity to 32,000 pallet positions, utilizing ASRS (automated storage retrieval system) technology to improve efficiency, energy use, and food handling safety.

• Joaquín Del Campo, Managing Director for the Pacific Region, emphasized that this expansion reflects the company's commitment to enhancing logistics infrastructure and providing innovative solutions for clients.

• In addition to El Olivo, Emergent Cold LatAm is expanding its Talcahuano facility, already the largest cold storage facility in Chile, with plans to add 12,000 pallet positions to its current 37,000 capacity.

• The company also achieved a milestone by receiving the EDGE Zero Carbon certification for its San Pedro de La Paz warehouse, marking it as the world’s first temperature-controlled facility to earn this recognition for sustainable operations. (link)

Other headlines

2024 World Cold Chain Symposium: Agenda Announced.

CEVA Logistics and Almajdouie Logistics have finalized a joint venture in Saudi Arabia.

Wabash project will build solar panels into refrigerated trailers.

Carrier Transicold delivers smart and efficient solutions at India’s Cold Chain Exhibition.

Saxum breaks ground on Indiana cold storage project.

Rhenus Group launches perishables transport service in Spain.

That’s it for today!

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