Forbes reports that the US cold storage market is due for strong growth in the next few years, and that the logistics, warehousing, and distribution space holds considerable potential for value creation.
In a recent Forbes post describing cold storage opportunities, Mergermarket quotes a report from business consulting firm Grand View Research which calculates that global cold storage market will reach $212.5 billion by 2025, expanding at a compound annual rate of 12.2%. The piece continues to describe how in the US an additional 100 million square feet of cold storage space is needed by 2026 to meet the demands of a growing population and notes that the rise in e-commerce will create additional warehouse demand.
Amid discussion of consolidation and acquisitions within the third-party logistics sector, noting that warehouse and fulfillment M&A has increased over the last few years with 84 transactions announced in 2019, Forbes picked Viking Cold Solutions as a specific example of a technology partner whose thermal energy storage (TES) technology can unlock value within the sector, describing the function of Viking Cold’s long-duration TES as a way to allow cold storage facilities “to be upgraded into virtual power plants”.
Christopher Nolan, managing director of Dresner Partners, notes that the recent pandemic has exposed inefficiencies within the system. Rather than creating short term challenges, COVID has instead created focus on endemic issues, pushing “grocery retailers (to) better see back up the chain and what they’re lacking”, Nolan notes, with new technology and IT as areas with notable potential.
Quoting James Bell, CEO of Viking Cold Solutions, Forbes noted that within the logistics space energy is the second-highest cost, only after labor, and that TES allows distribution companies and power providers to address mounting supply chain and energy challenges.
To read the Forbes Mergermarket post, click here. Or contact us today to learn how Viking Cold’s thermal energy storage solutions can unlock cold storage opportunities for you.
