What we have written on the cold chain138 / 154

R-404A has a global warming potential of 3922: one leaked kilogram counts as about 3.9 tonnes of CO2 equivalent. In Turkey, for a refrigerated vehicle unit, that means registration and leak checks from roughly 1.3 kg of charge.

Communiqué 2026/9 of Turkey's rural development investment programme funds cold stores at 50-70% of the eligible project amount including VAT. Rates, timetable, guarantee and purchasing rules in one place.

A cold egg that meets warm air sweats, and the wet shell opens a way for bacteria. The Turkish egg decree therefore rules out large temperature swings.

An EPS box has no fixed number of uses; the test is whether it can be cleaned and is dry on every return. How moisture changes insulation, what sets the life of a box, and how to measure the real number of trips.

The profit of a cold store investment comes down to two numbers: monthly occupancy and cost per pallet-day. A worked example shows how to calculate both and set them against a rental quote.

Consumption comes from heat load: wall transfer, product, doors, internal loads and defrost are added up and divided by the refrigeration efficiency (COP). Step by step with a worked example.

Litres are the inner volume; the choice runs from outside in. First a base that fits the 1200 x 800 mm Euro pallet layer, then wall thickness and the litres that remain.

A worked example shows how to read a price per square metre through its denominator, external surface and panel thickness.

A plate delivers its cold near its own melting point. For fresh food the -3 °C plate is the right tool, for deep-freeze the -21 °C plate; conditioning temperature and container fit complete the choice.

A refrigerated container is a body transferred between transport modes and runs on external power; a refrigerated body is vehicle bodywork; a passive container runs on a prepared cold source. Power, internal size and transfers decide the choice.

With meat, the time is how long the product stays under its legal upper limit: 7 °C for red meat, 4 for poultry, 2 for mince. The box delays that moment; it does not remove it.

Payback omits timing and later years. Use the same assumptions for present value and a sensitivity check.