Thermo King Wins Cold Chain Sustainability Award for Collaborative Cold Store Innovation

Cold Chain Federation honours Thermo King, KDM Solutions and Blue Cube PCS for a low-energy, fire‑safe portable cold store that sets a new benchmark for sustainability.

 Thermo King®, a leader in transport temperature control solutions and a brand of Trane Technologies, has received the Cold Chain Sustainability Award – Technological Breakthrough: Sustainable Partnership Project. The award recognises Thermo King’s collaboration with KDM Solutions and Blue Cube PCS to deliver a new generation of firesafe, low energy portable cold stores for the UK. Blue Cube PCS provides rental cold storage solutions across the UK, and KDM Solutions manufactures high-performance, ready-to-operate cold stores for temperature-controlled logistics.

The project demonstrates how sustainable design and manufacturing can deliver measurable environmental gains across the product’s lifecycle. By using the electric Thermo King Advancer A‑500E trailer unit instead of refrigeration systems typically fitted to cold stores, KDM Solutions and Thermo King demonstrated that the energy efficiency and performance benefits proven in road transport can be transferred into the cold storage sector. Testing showed the A-500e used around 50% less grid power than alternative equipment. Remote settings adjustments and diagnostics, along with stable grid performance, further reduce engineer call‑outs and secondary emissions.

Blue Cube PCS has already deployed multiple A‑500E‑refrigerated cold stores through KDM Solutions, with demand expected to grow as the partnership scales through 2026.

“Winning this award is a significant recognition of what can be achieved when industry partners work with a shared purpose,” said Jon Jerrard-Dinn, Rental and Strategic Segments Sales Manager at Thermo King UK. “The Advancer A-500e was engineered to push the boundaries of electric trailer refrigeration, and seeing its benefits transfer so effectively into the portable cold storage sector is a proud moment for our team. This collaboration shows that sustainability gains are strongest when manufacturers and operators understand the applications’ specific requirements and innovate together.”

Delivering a new benchmark for sustainable portable cold storage

The project began directly from Blue Cube PCS’s brief for a fireproof, low energy cold store that would be fully operational on arrival. KDM Solutions developed a long‑term, sustainability‑focused design using eco‑friendly composite panels with proven insulation performance verified through rigorous in‑house and third‑party testing. Every unit is manufactured at KDM Solutions’ dedicated facility to ensure complete control over quality and consistency.

The Thermo King Advancer A-500e proved central to delivering the required environmental and operational performance. Tests showed that the A-500e unit, originally engineered for trailer refrigeration, could handle UK grid instability without requiring engineers on site for surveys or commissioning. Thermo King then refined the programming and system configuration using TracKing® Energy Insights and data from units in service, ensuring the Advancer A-500e consistently met cold chain performance requirements.

Key benefits include:

• Full stability on an inconsistent UK power grid, removing the need for pre‑delivery engineering call‑outs.
• Remote diagnostics and control ability to change settings and execute a defrost remotely through Thermo King TracKing®, reducing travel related emissions and downtime.
• Reliable airflow and temperature management along the store’s full 16‑metre length.
• Around 50% lower electricity consumption over 24‑hour test periods compared with alternative systems.
• A safer working environment thanks to the A-500e 48‑volt system, operating below the 55‑volt safety threshold.
• Manufacturing sustainability supported by Thermo King’s carbon neutral production line in Galway, Ireland.

Scalable growth with measurable sustainability outcomes

“By combining structural innovation, electric refrigeration technology and collaborative problem-solving, have created a portable cold store that is safe, fire resistant, energy efficient and ready to rent on arrival,” said Mark Yates, Managing Director Blue Cube PCS. “The resulting solution has reduced our service burden, improved uptime and helped us offer a more efficient, environmentally responsible rental fleet to our customers.”

“Together we have shown what is possible when industry partners challenge conventional thinking,” said Kevin Chapman, Managing Director of KDM Solutions. “The right combination of design, technology and shared purpose can move the industry forward. By integrating Thermo King’s electric trailer unit and working together with Thermo King and Blue Cube PCS, we have created a flagship product that delivers step change improvements in safety, efficiency, and sustainability.”

Thermo King is training KDM Solutions’ engineers to complete installation, commissioning, and servicing to manufacturer standards. Cutting long distance engineer travel is expected to have saved around 5,000 kg of CO₂ in 2025, with each avoided callout reducing emissions by a further 50 kg on average. The initiative also supports resilience in the refrigeration industry already challenged by labour shortages.