Industry Information

PRW Capacity

Every two years, IARW publishes the Global Cold Storage Capacity Report, the only resource for worldwide public refrigerated warehouse capacity statistics. IARW has collected data from more than 40 countries. The publication follows the release of the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service’s biennial summary of cold storage capacity in the United States.

In addition, IARW has compiled profiles of national PRW markets, including several emerging and developing markets, to complement the data. This is also the first year that the report has shown a full decade of industry growth. The report will exist online as a "living" document and will constantly be revised and updated as the PRW industry changes.

The full set of data going back to 1998 and the complete report is complimentary benefit for IARW Members and other members of the Global Cold Chain Alliance.

Please contact Tori Miller at +1 703 373 4300 or tmiller@gcca.org to order the complete report. Would you like to participate in this report? Please complete this survey and fax to +1 703 373 4301. All respondents receive a complimentary copy of the report.

Members Only Materials (coming soon):

• Download Global Cold Storage Capacity Report, July 2008 [pdf]
• Download Global Cold Storage Capacity Data, July 2008 [csv]

• Public Refrigerated Capacity by Country
• Public Refrigerated Capacity by U.S. State
• Comparison of US Public and Private Refrigerated Warehouse Growth
• USDA Capacity of Refrigerated Warehouses
• USDA Cold Storage — Annual Summary

The following are the USDA’s definitions for terms describing warehouse types and data clarifications:

• Public General Storages: Refrigerated facilities maintained for storing food for others at specified rates per unit.
• Private and Semi-Private General Storages: Refrigerated facilities maintained by an operator to facilitate his principal function as a producer, processor or manufacturer of food products. The space is used to store the owner’s products, although some space may be used by others at specified rates per unit stored. Working space, chill rooms and curing rooms in meat storages are not included in the storage statistics.
• Cooler Space: Space that maintains temperatures between 0° and 50°F (-18° to +10°C).
• Freezer Space: Space that maintains temperatures at 0°F (-18°C) or lower.
• Gross Space: Total area under refrigeration, measured from wall-to-wall and from floor-to-ceiling.
• Usable Space: Actual area for storing commodities. Gross space less an allowance for aisles, posts, coils, blowers, etc.
• Number of Storages: Storages at different locations are counted separately even though operated by the same management.