RSA Cold Chain (RCC), the newest venture of Dubai-based third-party logistics (3PL) provider RSA Logistics, has broken ground for its new facility in Dubai South, UAE.

The ground-breaking ceremony was attended by a delegation headed by Ahmed Al Ansari, acting CEO of Dubai World Central Corporation.  

RCC, which will house a total capacity of 21,000 pallets, will start Phase One of its operations in March 2017, offering an initial capacity of 10,800 pallets, coupled with sophisticated, end-to-end 3PL services for packaged food, fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy products, and frozen food, said a statement from the company.

The warehouse will comprise eight independent chambers, and with a unique ammonia-based chilling system, each chamber will accommodate temperatures as low as -25 degrees. With global temperatures on the rise, coupled with the burgeoning demand for food products due to a welling population, there is a critical need for reliable cold storage solutions, particularly here in the UAE, it said.

The brand new entity was conceived to meet these needs, particularly in the lead up to Expo 2020 when Dubai will see a spike in its resident and work force populations, it added.

The site for the new facility is strategically located just outside the bonded zone in Dubai South to maximise ease of access and minimise time lags in movements of the food products, said a statement.

RCC will also provide temperature-controlled transportation, providing a holistic solution that meets the stringent compliance requirements for food storage and transportation, while focusing on quality and scalability, it said.

Abhishek Ajay Shah, co-founder and managing director of RSA Logistics, said: “We take pride in the launch of our latest project, RSA Cold Chain, which increases the scope of niche services we can offer to our customers.”

“We believe this is coming at a critical time in the context of global changes that will affect the demand and supply of food products, and in turn influence the requirement for quality services that meet these needs in a safe and sustainable manner,” he said.

“The cold chain is an under-served sector in the UAE and the Middle East and we are excited to be part of the journey that will see a change in this equation. We look forward to offering a high-growth and scalable solution to quality-focused food companies,” he added.

Ahmed Alansari, acting CEO, Dubai World Central Corporation, said: “Our platform offers unparalleled speed, connectivity and efficiency and sets a new global standard when handling freight, allowing for goods to be transferred from sea to air in only four hours.”

RSA stands out as a prime example of a successful business that has capitalised on these possibilities to grow and expand, and we are incredibly proud and honoured to have facilitated this success story through our offering,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service