The UNEP Cool Coalition and the Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE) presented India’s new Packhouse Design Guidelines during an October webinar focused on sustainable agricultural cold chains. The guidelines address site selection, building orientation, insulation, pre-cooling, efficient refrigeration and renewable energy integration, offering an approach that can be adapted to different crops, climates and markets.
India is estimated to need 125,000 rural packhouses by 2037, while fewer than 1% of the required integrated packhouses are currently operational. According to AEEE, the country loses approximately 7.5 million tonnes of fruit and 12 million tonnes of vegetables annually. Angshuman Siddhanta, Senior Cold Chain Expert at the UNEP Cool Coalition, explained that the guidelines follow a “Lean, Mean and Green” approach combining optimised design, energy-efficient technologies and clean energy. The first two measures alone could deliver energy savings of up to 36%.
Siddhanta also presented an integrated packhouse model developed for a cooperative in Bihar serving more than 50,000 farmers. The model incorporates natural refrigerants, renewable energy and refrigerated transport. Additional examples discussed during the webinar included five-tonne (approximately 11,000 lb) solar-powered cold rooms in Kenya using thermal energy storage and low-global-warming-potential refrigerants.
Jeremy Tait, Sustainable Products Director at Tait Consulting GmbH, highlighted technical guidance and testing protocols developed through work with the International Institute of Refrigeration, Efficiency for Access and VeraSol. These establish common measures for cooling capacity, airflow, insulation and energy consumption in walk-in cold rooms. The protocols aim to improve equipment performance comparisons and support purchasing decisions.
Sunil Nair, Managing Director of Food Service Network, emphasised the importance of shared packhouses serving multiple crops and seasons. He noted that Indian government subsidies can cover 35–50% of initial capital costs, while rooftop solar can provide 30–40% of energy requirements in larger facilities. Planned pilot projects in India will assess different technologies and energy sources for reducing food losses and operating costs.
The webinar concluded with priorities for international cooperation, including knowledge exchange, demonstration projects, performance evidence and stronger policy and investment support. “This is also a replicable guideline which can be drawn upon for global replication,” Siddhanta said.
