What are cold storage materials? Instructions on how to choose cold storage materials

Cold storage supplies This is a collection of equipment, materials, and technical accessories used in the design, construction, and operation of industrial cold storage systems. Each type of material serves a specific function: insulation panel Maintaining a stable temperature, the compressor creates a refrigeration cycle, and the cold storage door prevents cold air loss. Choosing the wrong component will lead to increased electricity consumption (20–40%), reduced equipment lifespan, and compromised food safety and hygiene.

This article gives you a complete classification, the standard specifications for each type of material, a comparison of EPS, PU and PIR panels, selection criteria by temperature range, and the questions that come up most often when investing in industrial cold storage. What follows is drawn from more than 20 years of Tân Long’s construction experience, covering hundreds of projects from 50 m³ cold rooms to a 12,000-tonne freezing complex for groups such as C.P. Vietnam, Lotte F&G and Kyokuyo Vina Foods.

What cold storage materials are and their role in an industrial refrigeration system

Cold storage supplies is the umbrella term for the whole system of materials, refrigeration and electrical equipment and specialist accessories connected together to form a complete cold store. The system works on a closed thermodynamic cycle in which every item is an inseparable link. In industrial refrigeration, one poor-quality or wrongly specified link is enough to reduce the cooling performance of the whole system and raise the risk of failure.

A system cold storage typically consumes 15 to 45 kWh of electricity per tonne of goods per month, depending on the target temperature range and the technical properties of the insulation. From actual operating data on projects Tân Long has delivered for customers in Tây Ninh (formerly Long An) and Cà Mau, a 150 mm standard PU (polyurethane) panel envelope saves 25% to 30% of the electricity compared with EPS panels of the same thickness.

The role of modern cold storage materials is not only a technical question but a key to getting past trade barriers. Investing in equipment meeting HACCP and TCVN 4148:2014 lets the system satisfy the strict inspection requirements of international supply chains. That matters particularly for strategic goods such as seafood exported to demanding markets like the European Union or Japan.

To keep the system running reliably, choosing components from respected brands such as Mycom compressors or Guntner evaporators is essential. Matching the refrigeration equipment to the envelope not only optimises running costs but also significantly extends the average life of the installation.

Cold storage materials classified by function

In design and installation, cold storage materials falls into four strategic groups: insulated structure, refrigeration machinery and equipment, doorway temperature control, and operational support.

Insulation system

System Insulated panel forms the envelope for the walls, ceiling and floor of the store. In the Vietnamese market the three most common types of cold storage materials are:

• EPS panels use a polystyrene foam core at 18–22 kg/m³, thermal conductivity λ = 0.038–0.040 W/(m·K), joined with a tongue-and-groove fit or rivets. They suit chill rooms at 0 to +8°C (32 to 46°F) and cost 15–20% less than PU, but absorb more moisture after 5–7 years in service.
• PU panels use a polyurethane core at 38–42 kg/m³, thermal conductivity λ = 0.022–0.025 W/(m·K), joined with camlocks. They suit freezer rooms at −18 to −35°C (0 to −31°F), are mechanically stronger than EPS, and last 15–20 years with routine cleaning.
• PIR panels use a polyisocyanurate core, thermal conductivity λ = 0.018–0.021 W/(m·K), with 30–40% better fire performance than PU under EN 13501. They suit deep-freeze rooms at −40 to −50°C (−40 to −58°F) or projects requiring a high level of fire certification.

Galvanised or powder-coated aluminium trims and coving hold the panels tight together and block thermal bridging at the joints. This detail is often overlooked but can cause 8–12% heat loss if it is not installed correctly.

Refrigeration equipment

Type cold storage materials determines output and electricity cost directly. The closed refrigeration cycle is made up of:

• Refrigeration compressor: Tân Long favours screw and piston compressors from global brands such as Mycom, Bitzer, Copeland and Danfoss. This equipment accounts for 60% to 70% of the system’s total electricity consumption.
• Evaporator: Depending on the product being stored, the engineer selects a dry expansion (DX) evaporator for smaller installations or a flooded evaporator for large-capacity NH3 systems.
• Refrigerant and connecting components: Copper tube to ASTM B280 together with refrigerants such as R404A, R507A or natural NH3 with its low GWP, matching the shift towards greener systems in 2026.

Doorway temperature control (access control)

The doorway is where most heat is lost, accounting for 15% to 25% of the total heat load. The T-Light insulated doors Tân Long supplies include:

• In practice the cold room door is the biggest point of heat loss, accounting for 15–25% of the store’s total heat load if it is not chosen and fitted correctly. There are three main types: insulated hinged doors, manual sliding doors and high-speed doors.
• T-Light Hinged Insulated Cold Room Door from Tân Long use an aluminium alloy frame, a 100 mm PU core, heat-resistant silicone rubber gaskets, a safety latch so no one can be shut inside, and a sill heater to prevent icing. Standard sizes run from 800×1,800 mm to 1,200×2,200 mm, with custom sizes to suit the project.
• T-Light manual sliding insulated door suit loading bays with forklifts moving in and out regularly. Sizes run from 1,500×2,200 mm to 3,000×3,500 mm. High-speed doors are for areas with heavy traffic, above 30 movements an hour, cutting heat loss by roughly 40–50% compared with an ordinary hinged door.
• Air shield (air curtains) fitted above the doorway create an air barrier that keeps warm outside air out. Fan power is 0.4–1.5 kW with an air flow of 2,000–6,000 m³/h depending on the door size. PVC strip curtains 2–3 mm thick hung inside the doorway are a low-cost addition, suitable for secondary doors and smaller stores under 1,000 m³.

Operational support items

To complete the cold storage construction package, the support items play an important part in making the best use of space and keeping the store safe:

• Cold store racking in SUS 304 or SUS 316 stainless steel carries 500 kg to 2,000 kg per level, with a mesh design so cold air circulates freely. The shelf heights adjust to suit the packaging format and handling requirements.
• A cold store floor needs a load capacity of at least 5 tonnes/m² where electric forklifts are used. A non-slip surface matters particularly below 0°C, because airborne moisture freezes on the floor. Polyurethane floor panels 80–150 mm thick have a thermal conductivity of λ = 0.022 W/(m·K), suiting deep-freeze rooms.
• Cold-rated LED luminaires for cold storage must be IP65 (fully dust-tight, protected against water jets) with an operating range of −40 to +50°C (−40 to +122°F). LED saves 60–70% of the electricity of traditional fluorescent lighting, with an average life of 50,000 hours.

The temperature control system (a PLC or SCADA panel) monitors and adjusts temperature to ±0.5°C, raises alarms by SMS and email, and stores the temperature history required for cold chain traceability.

EPS, PU and PIR panels compared — which one suits you?

Choosing the right type of insulated panel is the single most important decision in the whole cold storage materialsinvestment. Each material has its own technical strengths and economics. Below is a detailed comparison of the three most common panel types:

For industrial cold storage with an investment of 2 billion VND or more, PU panels are the cold storage materials with the best life-cycle cost. The initial budget for refrigeration equipment using PU panels may be 15% to 20% higher than EPS, but electricity savings of 25% to 30% a year recover that difference within the first 3 to 4 years of operation.

Using high-efficiency refrigeration compressors together with a properly specified PU panel envelope not only protects the goods better but extends the life of the whole installation.

Industry-standard specifications for cold storage materials

The specifications below are for industrial cold storage operating between −18°C and −25°C. This is the standard cold storage materials specification for the seafood and frozen food storage segment most common in the Vietnamese market:

• Wall and ceiling panels: PU 150 mm, λ ≤ 0.025 W/(m·K), steel facings 0.5–0.6 mm both sides, camlock joints, stainless steel or colour-coated corrosion-resistant surface. Minimum compressive strength 0.2 MPa.
• Floor panels: PU 150–200 mm, 0.8–1.0 mm steel facing or epoxy-coated concrete, load capacity ≥ 5 tonnes/m². Floor heating has to be designed in for deep-freeze rooms below −25°C to stop the ground freezing.
• Cold storage door: PU core 100–120 mm, silicone rubber gasket around the perimeter, sill heater at 80–120 W/m, air leakage ≤ 2 m³/h when closed, 304 stainless steel handle, internal escape latch.
• Refrigeration compressor: coefficient of performance COP ≥ 2.5 at standard operating conditions; refrigerant R404A, R507A or NH3 depending on capacity.
• Condenser: aluminium or copper heat exchange surface; capacity sized on a heat load factor of Q = 1.1–1.3 × Q_store; fin spacing of 4–6 mm on freezer rooms to avoid frost blocking between defrost cycles.
• Control system: PLC electrical cabinet with an HMI screen, temperature sensor accuracy ±0.3°C, 90 days of continuous history, Modbus RTU or BACnet protocol for integration with a plant-wide SCADA system.

Selection criteria for HACCP and TCVN compliance

Industrial cold storage for food and pharmaceuticals has to comply strictly with HACCP and TCVN 5603:2008. To guarantee operating quality, the choice of cold storage materials has to meet the following demanding technical requirements:

• Direct contact surfaces: Types cold storage materials such as racking, floors and walls inside the store should be non-absorbent and free of chemical migration. SUS 304 or SUS 316 stainless steel is the best choice, standing up to 200 ppm chlorine-based disinfectant without oxidising, for complete food safety.
• Safe insulated panels: The cold store envelope is the most important group of cold storage materials . PU or PIR panels should be manufactured to ISO 14001, with VOC emissions below the threshold, to create a clean storage environment — particularly for medical products and food for export.
• Sustainable refrigerant systems: On large projects using NH3, the refrigeration equipment list has to include a gas leak detection system and a separate machine room under TCVN 6155:1996. NH3, with GWP = 0 and ODP = 0, is the choice many plants prefer to satisfy green requirements from European partners.
• Certificates of origin for the equipment: Every refrigeration compressor and its accessories must come with full CO and CQ certificates. Tân Long provides a transparent set of origin documents for all imported cold storage materials, so that businesses pass international supply chain audits without difficulty.

Equipment from a supplier with clear CO (Certificate of Origin) and CQ (Certificate of Quality) documents lets a business prove provenance during a supply chain audit. Tân Long provides full origin documentation for all imported equipment on every project.

Costly mistakes when choosing cold storage materials

Choosing the wrong cold storage materials not only wastes budget but directly affects the performance and service life of the whole system. Here are the common mistakes investors should watch for:

• Putting price ahead of design temperature: A serious mistake is using 100 mm EPS panels on a −18°C freezer room to save on the initial cost. The refrigeration compressor then has to run 18 to 22 hours a day, and electricity consumption jumps 40% to 50%. After 3 to 5 years, this mismatched cold storage materials takes up moisture and loses its insulating value completely.
• Leaving out floor heating on deep-freeze rooms: On rooms operating below −20°C, without floor heating the groundwater beneath freezes. That cracks the floor structure within 2 to 3 years, and the repair typically costs 3 to 5 times what the heating system would have cost during the original refrigeration installation.
• Not accounting for the heat load at the doorway: A store with heavy traffic and no air curtain or PVC strip curtain ends up with an actual heat load 30% to 40% above the calculated figure. These are important supporting cold storage materials items that keep the refrigeration plant from running short of capacity, holding the temperature steady even at peak intake times.
• Specifying the wrong evaporator fin spacing: Using an evaporator with 2 to 3 mm fin spacing (intended for chill rooms) on a −18°C freezer room blocks with frost within a few hours. For standard cold storage materials , fin spacing should be 4 to 6 mm on freezer rooms and 7 to 10 mm on deep-freeze systems at −35°C, to keep heat exchange efficient.
• Using equipment without CO/CQ certificates: Buying cold storage materials and compressors of unclear origin risks getting refurbished or counterfeit goods. That equipment lasts only 2 to 4 years, far short of the 10 to 15 years of the genuine equipment Tân Long supplies.

As a technical leader, Tân Long Refrigeration Electromechanical Joint Stock Company has more than 20 years of experience designing and installing industrial cold storage. We run a modern equipment factory in Duc Hoa 1 Industrial Park, Tây Ninh province, and maintain a service office at 86 Dong Den, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City, committed to delivering the best refrigeration equipment solutions for our customers.

Tân Long has built more than 200 cold stores and refrigerated processing plants for major groups including C.P. Vietnam (Tan Phu Trung Industrial Park, Cu Chi), Lotte F&G Vietnam (Long Hau Industrial Park, Tây Ninh), Kyokuyo Vina Foods, Frescol Tuna Vietnam (Nghệ An) and Vietnam Clean Seafood Corporation (Sóc Trăng). These projects include large-capacity NH3 refrigeration systems, IQF lines, blast freezing tunnels, and cold stores from 500 to 12,000 tonnes capacity.

Current certifications: HACCP, ISO 9001:2015. Authorised equipment partners: Bitzer (Germany), Copeland/Emerson (USA), Danfoss (Denmark), Eco (Italy), Meluck (China), Joongwon (South Korea).

• Contact us for technical advice and a quotation for cold storage materials: 0933 357 058 (Mr. Thinh).
• Email: info@tanlongvn.com.

Free consultation, with a site survey within 24 hours in Ho Chi Minh City and neighbouring provinces.

Frequently asked questions about cold storage materials

How thick should a cold store panel be?

Panel thickness depends on the design temperature and the core material. For PU panels (λ = 0.023 W/(m·K)): chill rooms at 0 to +8°C need 75–100 mm; freezer rooms at −18 to −25°C need 150 mm; blast freezing rooms at −35 to −40°C need 200 mm; ultra-low-temperature rooms at −45 to −55°C need 250 mm. For EPS panels (λ = 0.038 W/(m·K)), multiply by 1.5 for equivalent insulation.

Which refrigerant suits a freezer store best today?

R404A and R507A are the two most common refrigerants for industrial freezer stores in Vietnam today. R404A has a GWP of 3,922 and is being phased down under the Kigali Amendment. R507A has a GWP of 3,985 and slightly better performance at low temperature. On new projects from 2025, many designers are moving to R452A or R448A, with a GWP 40–50% lower while remaining compatible with existing equipment.

What routine maintenance do cold storage materials need?

A standard maintenance schedule for industrial cold storage: clean the evaporator and check refrigerant pressure every 3 months; lubricate compressor bearings and check door gaskets every 6 months; carry out a full check of panels, valves and copper pipework and recalibrate temperature sensors every 12 months. Tân Long offers scheduled maintenance contracts with a 4-hour response commitment and attendance on site within 24 hours in Ho Chi Minh City and the southern provinces.

What share of the total investment do materials account for?

On an industrial cold storage project of 500–2,000 m³, materials typically account for 65–75% of the total contract value, the rest being labour and construction management. Within that, the refrigeration system (compressor, condenser, evaporator) accounts for 35–40%; panels and insulated structure 25–30%; cold room doors 8–12%; electrical and control systems 10–15%.

Can I buy the materials myself and hire someone else to install them?

Technically it is possible, but it carries real risk. The installer will not warrant equipment whose provenance it cannot control. If the materials do not match — a Bitzer compressor with a Meluck evaporator whose cooling capacity does not suit it, for instance — the system will not reach its design temperature. Tân Long recommends buying design, materials, installation and warranty as a package from one supplier, so that everything matches and responsibility is clear.

Do cold storage materials have to be imported, or are Vietnamese products good enough?

In Vietnam today, PU and EPS insulated panels made domestically (at factories in Tây Ninh, Bình Dương and Hai Duong) are of good quality and more competitively priced than imports. Compressors, large condensers and PLC/SCADA control systems, however, still need to come from established manufacturers in Germany, the USA, Denmark and Italy to guarantee durability and performance over 10–15 years of operation.

Related pages

• T-LIGHT cold storage door
• Industrial Cold Storage Supplies – Catalog & Price List
• Standard PIR and PU insulation panels for cold storage.
• What is AHU? Structure, operating principle, AHU parameters
• What is HVAC? Principles, structure and research documents of HVAC
• What is COP? The energy efficiency coefficient in refrigeration engineering
• What is a refrigeration system? Current types of industrial refrigeration systems
• industrial refrigeration systems designed and built by Tan Long

Review & Expert Advice

Engineer Nguyen Toan Thinh (Technical Director)

With over 18 years of practical experience in directing, consulting, designing, and constructing heavy industrial refrigeration systems, ASRS automated warehouses, and IQF freezing systems across more than 29 major national projects.

👉 View expert's profile | 📞 Technical support hotline: 0933 357 058