Foodstuffs South Island - Project AutoFreeze

Project Auto-Freeze is a landmark cold storage project in Christchurch, designed to increase refrigerated capacity for Foodstuffs South Island by 200%. Delivered under a design and build model, the project spans 2,300m2 and was completed in July 2025. Apollo led the design and construction, working closely with Foodstuffs to deliver a fully automated, high-performance facility. 

The project faced complex infrastructure and environmental challenged. Early stages required major power shutdowns and a 12-hour cut to the CO2 refrigeration plant servicing freezers 1, 2 and 3 to enable pipe bridge alternations. Midway through, the team cut into the existing freezer to install rapid rise doors, involving structural steel modifications within a live cold environment.

Despite high risks, the Apollo team navigated these challenges with efficiency and collaboration, maintaining strong relationships with the client and ensuring continuity of operations throughout. 

Sustainability was a focus on this project, with the installation of around 340 solar panels across 800m2 of roof space. The refrigeration system also uses ammonia as the main refrigerant and CO2 as the secondary, with propylene glycol as the heating fluid, an efficient environmentally conscious setup.

Standout features on this project include the fully automated racking system which eliminates the need for human presence in the freezer area, except for maintenance. The hypoxic fire protection system which maintains oxygen levels at 13.9%, preventing ignition. A 18 metre ammonia tower stack safely exhausts gas in the event of a leak. Finally the cold store maintains a temperature of -22 degrees Celsius and accommodates 6,240 pallets.