Cold Chain Equipment Market - Forecasts from 2024 to 2029

The global cold chain equipment market is estimated to be around US$179.71 billion in 2024 and is anticipated to grow to US$283.519 billion by 2029 at a CAGR of 9.55%.

Cold chain is a type of temperature-controlled supply chain that includes storage, transportation, and distribution of various types of perishable goods, such as vaccines, chemicals, and various food & beverage products, like dairy and seafood. It includes various rules and procedures that ensure proper storage and distribution of such perishable products. The cold chain equipment includes cold boxes, cold storage, and insulated boxes.

Rising globalization and expanding trade activities, such as exports and imports, will push the demand for cold chain equipment during the forecasted timeline. The global demand for cold chain equipment increase can be attributed to multiple factors, including growing demand for frozen or processed food and increasing need for vaccines and pharmaceutical products.

Similarly, global vaccine demand and trade growth are also expected to boost the cold chain market in the coming years. Vaccines require temperature-controlled storage and transportation to maintain their integrity and effectiveness. The growth of the global vaccine trade will positively affect the cold chain equipment market worldwide.

The higher operating cost of cold chain equipment in the global market is estimated to act as a major barrier during the forecasted year. The cost of cold chain equipment is generally higher than that of normal transportation.

Global Cold Chain Equipment Market Drivers:

Increasing demand for processed food and meats.

One of the major driving factors that is estimated to propel the market size of the global cold chain equipment market is forecasted to be the growing consumption of meats and processed foods in the global market. With the global increase in the market demand for processed foods and meat products, the need for safe and temperature-controlled transportation and storage will expand. In the processed food and meat products market, cold chain equipment offers a critical role in transporting and storing such products, as it maintains its shelf life. The demand for processed food in the global market has witnessed a major boost, which can be credited to the expanding global population and increasing disposable income worldwide.

Similarly, the per capita consumption of meat in multiple countries around the globe has witnessed a significant increase, raising the demand for meat in such nations. For instance, the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) stated that in 2022, the USA’s per capita poultry meat consumption was recorded at 35 kgs, which increased to about 35.7 kgs in 2023. Similarly, poultry meat consumption in Peru increased from 32.7 kg/capita in 2022 to 33kg/capita in 2023.

Growing demand for vaccine supply

The growing demand for medicinal vaccines among the global population is also expected to significantly boost the global cold chain equipment market share. Especially with the introduction of new and deadly global diseases like COVID-19, the demand for vaccines has skyrocketed. There are various types of vaccines, like inactivated, live-attenuated, mRNA, and toxoid vaccines, which require cold or temperature-controlled equipment to transport and store them. Various types of cold chain equipment are used to safely transport such vaccines, like cold boxes, ice packs, foam pads, and refrigerators.

The global trade of vaccines has witnessed significant growth in recent years. The World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS), a partner of UNCS, UNCTAD, and WTO, among others, stated that in 2023, Belgium became the biggest importer of vaccines, which estimated that about US$12.43 billion worth of vaccines for human medicines, followed by the USA, which imported about US$9.27 billion of vaccines in the same year. The agency further stated that Belgium imported a total of 36.575 billion kgs of vaccines, and about 2.471 billion kgs of vaccines were imported by the USA.

Global Cold Chain Equipment Market Restraint:

Higher transportation and operating costs.

One of the major challenges for the global cold chain equipment market is forecasted to be the higher operating and transportation costs of materials in the industry. Cold chain equipment, like refrigerators and cold boxes, requires safe and dedicated storage space to store various products, like vaccines, chemicals, and food products. Furthermore, operating such refrigerators or refrigerated vehicles also consumes more energy than general transportation units.

Global Cold Chain Equipment Market Geographical Outlook

Asia Pacific is anticipated to hold a significant share of the Global Cold Chain Equipment Market.

The Asia Pacific region is expected to attain a greater global cold chain equipment market share in the forecasted timeline. Various factors contribute to the growth of the cold chain equipment market in the region, like expanding the production of products that require cold chain transportation, such as vaccines, chemicals, processed foods, meat products, and beverages.

The region has one of the biggest meat product markets in the globe. The constant expansion of meat production and supply globally is estimated to boost the cold chain equipment market in the region, as meat products require special temperature-controlled storage and transportation solutions to maintain their shelf life.

The region is also among the biggest producers and global suppliers of vaccines and other medicinal products. Countries like India, China, and Singapore are among the biggest producers of vaccines in the global market. In its press release, the Government of India stated that the nation accounts for about 60% of the total vaccine produced globally. The government further stated that the nation's pharma exports grew by 125% in the past 9 years. The export of vaccines and pharma products requires special cold boxes, which further boosts the cold chain equipment market in the region.

The Global Cold Chain Equipment Market Products Offered by Key Companies:

• Blowkings, established in 1981, is among the global leaders in designing, manufacturing, and supplying cold chain equipment. The company offers multiple cold chain equipment, like ice packs, vaccine carriers, and long & short-range Cold Boxes in the cold chain equipment market.
• Nilkamal Material Handling is one of India's largest material handling solution providers. The company serves multiple industries, including Automotive, horticulture, dairy, fishery, meat processing, and beverage. In cold chain equipment, the company offers vaccine Cold Boxes, Cold Vaccine Carriers, Ice Packs, and Freeze-free vaccine Carriers.
• GPC Medical Ltd. is a global leader that designs, manufactures, and supplies a wide range of medical supplies and equipment. In the cold chain equipment market, the company offers cold boxes, ice packs, and vaccine carriers. The company, in its cold boxes category, offers long-range and short-range cold boxes.

The Global Cold Chain Equipment Market is segmented and analyzed as:

By Type

• Storage Equipment
• Transportation Equipment

By End-User

• Pharmaceutical
• Food And Beverage
• Chemicals
• Others

By Geography

• North America
• USA
• Canada
• Mexico
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Others
• Europe
• United Kingdom
• Germany
• France
• Italy
• Spain
• Others
• Middle East And Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• Israel
• Others
• Asia Pacific
• Japan
• China
• India
• Indonesia
• Taiwan
• Thailand
• Others