DuPont Nutrition & Health to build deep-freeze warehouse in Germany

DuPont Nutrition and Health is pioneering its new deep-freeze warehouse in Niebüll, Germany.

Constructed as a joint project between DuPont Epernon, France and DuPont Niebüll, Germany, the new facility will help the company to secure additional capacity in cultures manufacturing.

The new facility is expected to support DuPont in maintaining the stability of its yoghurt, fresh fermented and cheese products, and delivering it to its customers worldwide.

DuPont Nutrition & Health Niebüll site manager Reinhold Sand said: “The investment of around €7m ($8.6m) forms part the previously announced $60m expansion plan for European cultures plants.

“We count on a combination of local planners and regional specialist companies to realise this important plant extension, building upon the overall logistics of the plant.”

Built as an extension to the current logistics building in Niebüll, the new storage facility is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of this year.

Upon completion, the new deep-freeze warehouse will operate at a temperature of -55^oC. A heat recovery system will also be integrated into the refrigeration technology.

DuPont Niebüll plant manager Michael Paulsen said: “The cold storage cell will be equipped with a new, very energy efficient insulating panel and due to this, the new cooling system will on average run significantly less per day, which reduces energy use.

“In the new storage, there will be ports with different temperature zones, as well as a semi-automated transport system to load and unload a freight elevator that ensures the material transport from the ground to the upper floor.”

The company will build a new two-story building in front of the new deep-freeze warehouse with a 300m² of floor space at each level. This will reportedly include logistics, office workplaces, switch rooms, building technology, and social rooms for the employees working at the logistics centre.