Refrigeration technology in food logistics: key technology for quality, efficiency, and sustainability

Whether frozen pizza, yogurt, or salmon: many products in supermarkets must be kept refrigerated at all times. Even the slightest temperature fluctuations can lead to spoilage or quality loss. Using state-of-the-art refrigeration technology, the Nagel-Group ensures that millions of food items reach the shelves intact every day, from the production site to the store. In doing so, the company sets standards in efficiency and sustainability.

A stable, reliable and energy-efficient refrigeration system is crucial for product quality, security of supply and resource-efficient operation.

Challenges of modern refrigeration technology

With around 130 warehouses and transshipment centers, the Nagel-Group operates some of the largest refrigerators in Europe. In total, the company has around 1.8 million pallet spaces for dry, fresh, and frozen goods. State-of-the-art refrigeration systems form the backbone of this logistics operation. They maintain a constant temperature in the Nagel-Group’s warehouses, ensuring the quality of the stored products.

At the same time, refrigeration systems are among the largest energy consumers at a site. At frozen food sites, around 75 percent of the electricity requirement is accounted for by refrigeration, while at fresh food sites the figure is 50 percent. Added to this are increasing requirements due to longer supply chains, higher quality and hygiene standards, and strict legal requirements, such as the EU F-Gas Regulation* to reduce climate-damaging refrigerants. These developments call for solutions that are not only reliable, but also energy-efficient and environmentally friendly.

“Our investments in modern refrigeration technology are an integral part of our comprehensive site infrastructure modernization project,” says André Pleines, Executive Director Real Estate. “Our goal is to make our sites efficient, energy-efficient, and future-proof.”

Multi-temp system in Nuremberg

Natural refrigerants for sustainable logistics

As part of this modernization, the Nagel-Group is switching to natural refrigerants such as CO₂ (R744) and NH₃/ammonia (R717). Recent construction projects such as the multi-temperature facility in Schweitenkirchen, the automated high-bay warehouse in Nuremberg, and the new logistics complex in Hamburg will be operated with these refrigerants from the outset. Natural refrigerants can increase energy efficiency by 15% and reduce CO₂ emissions by around 3,500 tons per year. At the same time, existing systems are being modernized and replaced with refrigeration systems that use natural refrigerants. This creates a uniform standard for operational safety, efficiency, and sustainability.

Digitalization, AI, and automation

In addition to the conversion of refrigerants, digital control of the systems is also becoming increasingly important. To make processes more transparent and resource-efficient, the Nagel-Group relies on digital control systems and intelligent IoT monitoring (we reported on this on April 23, 2025, in our newsroom). This allows temperature curves to be documented seamlessly, deviations to be detected in real time, and energy-saving potential to be identified in a targeted manner.

An innovative battery storage system from Austrian manufacturer CellCube is in operation at the Bochum site.

Energy efficiency through self-sufficiency

Smart energy management is required to meet the high energy demands of refrigeration systems. In Germany, the Nagel-Group has around 45,000 m² of photovoltaic space at its disposal. The use of photovoltaic systems in combination with modern battery storage systems not only generates electricity but also stores it. This is the case, for example, at the Bochum site, where a battery storage system from the Austrian manufacturer CellCube with a storage capacity of 2.5 MWh and a maximum power output of 500 kW has recently been put into operation. At night or on days with low solar radiation, the storage system provides surplus energy for cooling, which also effectively cushions peak loads.

Complete cold chain

Refrigeration technology plays a central role in food logistics: only a stable, reliable, and energy-efficient refrigeration system can guarantee product quality, security of supply, and resource-efficient operation. The Nagel-Group pursues this sustainability approach holistically – not only in its real estate, but also in transport. Electric semi-trucks and refrigerated trailers are part of the existing fleet and help to reduce emissions and make the entire cold chain efficient and sustainable.

^* F-gas-Regulation
The bans and restrictions imposed by the European F-Gas Regulation are intended to reduce emissions of greenhouse-effect fluorinated refrigerants (F-gases).

How a refrigeration system works

A refrigeration system operates in a closed-circuit system, similar to a large refrigerator. It maintains the desired temperature through continuous, controlled heat transfer: exactly the same amount of heat is constantly extracted from the room as flows back in from outside.

This happens in several steps: the refrigerant absorbs heat from the environment (e.g., cold room) in the evaporator and evaporates in the process. The compressor draws in this gas and compresses it, causing the pressure and temperature to rise. In the condenser, the hot refrigerant releases the absorbed heat to the environment and returns to a liquid state. An expansion valve then reduces the pressure, causing the refrigerant to cool down significantly and allowing it to absorb heat again in the next cycle. This closed process ensures that the temperature is maintained reliably and constantly.