Americold’s Secret to Surviving Power Outages

Insight summary

• •Americold’s cold storage facilities can maintain sub-zero temperatures for up to a week during power outages due to highly engineered insulation equivalent to 15-20 times that of household freezers.
• •Facilities use insulated metal panels and robust roof structures to create a thermal mass acting like a battery for temperature retention.
• •AI-driven refrigeration systems monitor grid conditions, pre-cool facilities, and optimize compressor runtimes to reduce energy consumption and costs.
• •U.S. electricity prices increased by approximately 5% last year and are projected to rise 5% annually for at least two more years, impacting operational costs.
• •Americold has enrolled around 175 facilities in the Global Cold Chain Alliance’s Energy Excellence program to benchmark and enhance energy efficiency.
• •The company emphasizes human vigilance for energy savings, such as sealing air leaks and monitoring dock doors.
• •Americold is expanding into pharmaceuticals and other temperature-sensitive products, including mRNA-based therapies, beyond its primarily food-focused operations.