Americold unlocks refrigeration flexibility to advance its sustainability goals

Across Americold's temperature-controlled network, reliability is everything. Operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, facilities across Australia and New Zealand store and distribute temperature-controlled products that communities depend on every day. Maintaining precise freezer temperatures is paramount, making electricity one of the company's most critical operational inputs and one of its largest operating costs.

Since 2017, Americold has partnered with Enel X to participate in demand response programs that leverage the flexibility of its refrigeration assets. Through Enel X's Virtual Power Plant (VPP), participating facilities can temporarily adjust electricity consumption during periods of grid stress, helping support grid reliability and renewable energy integration while complementing Americold's broader energy management and sustainability initiatives.

Cold storage is highly energy intensive, but maintaining temperature integrity, food safety, and customer service can never be compromised. At the same time, Americold recognized an opportunity to leverage the inherent flexibility within its refrigeration systems to better manage energy consumption and support the evolving electricity system.

The challenge was finding a way to reduce electricity demand at critical moments without affecting storage temperatures, product integrity, customer inventory, or day-to-day operations.

Through its partnership with Enel X, Americold is able to deploy the inherent flexibility of its refrigeration infrastructure as a demand response resource that supports grid stability.

 

Industrial refrigeration systems have a unique characteristic: they can store thermal energy. By carefully pre-cooling facilities or temporarily reducing compressor load, cold storage sites can lower electricity consumption for short periods while maintaining required storage temperatures and protecting product integrity.

 

Enel X's technology aggregates flexible assets from multiple sites and participants into a single, coordinated resource capable of supporting the grid when needed. At Americold, existing refrigeration systems can contribute thousands of kilowatts of flexible capacity without requiring significant new infrastructure investment.

 

As Jonathan explains:

"Our freezers are well insulated and act like big batteries, so we can reduce the amount of power we use at a particular time to support grid demand, whilst maintaining storage temperatures."

When grid conditions are tight, Enel X can dispatch flexibility from Americold and other participating sites, reducing demand when the grid needs it most. Refrigerated warehouses are particularly valuable because they can respond rapidly and sustain reduced electricity consumption by leveraging the thermal inertia of their facilities.

 

Participation is carefully managed to ensure product quality, customer service, and operational performance remain unchanged while supporting broader grid reliability objectives.

 

“What makes this partnership successful is that it builds on capabilities we already have within our operations. Through Enel X, we're able to leverage the flexibility of our refrigeration systems to support energy markets across Australia and New Zealand while maintaining the high operational standards our customers expect.”

Supporting grid reliability

By participating in Enel X's VPP, Americold helps reduce demand on the grid during critical periods, helping to ease grid stress and maintain system reliability.

 

Advancing sustainability goals

Demand response provides the flexibility needed to integrate more renewable energy into the grid. For Americold, participation complements broader sustainability initiatives while contributing to a more resilient and lower-carbon energy future.

 

Unlocking value from existing assets

Americold leverages existing refrigeration infrastructure to provide valuable grid flexibility without compromising operations, customer service, product integrity, or food safety.

 

Strengthening community resilience

By responding when the grid needs support, Americold contributes to a more reliable and resilient electricity system for homes, businesses, and communities.

Looking ahead

Flexible demand will play an increasingly important role as Australia’s electricity system transitions to more renewable energy. Americold's partnership with Enel X demonstrates how operational expertise and existing infrastructure can create value beyond the four walls of a facility.

 

As Jonathan explains, “As the energy landscape continues to evolve, we see opportunities to apply the same operational discipline we bring to temperature control and product protection to energy management across our network."

 

By transforming refrigeration assets into flexible energy resources, Americold is putting its existing operations to work in support of the energy transition, while continuing to deliver at a high standard, the essential cold storage services its customers rely on.