Cool Port

Project Description

Cool Port Oakland opened in November 2018 as the world’s latest next-generation cold storage and logistics facility. Set on 25 acres at the Port of Oakland’s waterfront, Cool Port serves as a hub for temperature-controlled cargo transitioning through Northern California.

Cool Port is a collaboration between warehousing and logistics industry leaders Lineage and Dreisbach, with additional funding and support from the Port of Oakland and the State of California. This combination brings together world-class cold-chain logistics expertise and steadfast commitment to innovation and community growth.

“We are excited to expand Lineage’s dynamic, temperature-controlled facility network with the addition of Cool Port,” said Greg Lehmkuhl, Lineage’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “The facility showcases the unique and unmatched value that Lineage can deliver to customers’ extended supply chains. Cool Port is now one of the fastest, most cost-effective and quality-controlled means of transporting perishable foods internationally.”

“Cool Port is a game-changer for global trade and the local economy,” said Jason Dreisbach, President of Dreisbach. “We’ll more efficiently connect U.S. producers to Asian markets and in the process, create hundreds of jobs in our own backyard. The incredible impact of Cool Port on our organizations, the Port of Oakland and the Bay Area at large cannot be understated.”

Next Generation Full-Service Facility for Customers

Cool Port sets a new standard in efficiency, food safety and speed in the temperature-controlled and transportation industry.

The 280,000-square-foot depot with 90 truck dock doors can send up to 1,000,000 tons of perishable product through the Port of Oakland annually. Cool Port’s strategic proximity to the Port’s marine terminal entrance will expedite the transition process between ship and warehouse, thereby reducing transportation costs and energy expenditure. Oakland is the last port of call for transpacific cargo – ensuring faster transit times for shipping perishable food products to Asian markets.

A secure, fully cold-chain compliant facility, Cool Port offers 20,000 pallet positions, has three blast cells and includes a 100,000-square-foot, high-cube, multi-temperature storage environment. The facility also supports a full range of services including rail transload and truck cross-dock operations, frozen and refrigerated storage, import-export services, onsite U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection and labeling capabilities.

Cool Port significantly reduces truck usage compared to standard temperature-controlled facilities, resulting in reduced diesel emissions. Up to 36 railcars per day can go straight to shipping containers to be loaded eliminating the burdensome need to load cargo onto trucks for transfer between ships and rail.

Cargo-handling equipment for Lineage Cool Port is also 100 percent electric-powered, which is projected to prevent nearly 9,000 pounds of CO2 emissions in the first five years of operation. Cool Port also uses lightweight chassis and tractors to increase pounds per container, decreasing shipping costs and lowering transaction complexity.

The facility operates in full compliance with governing regulations of the California Air Resources Board. Additionally, the facility will provide electrical plug-ins for most containers, solar or fuel cell technology for power generation, natural gas power for yard trucks, and the use of natural refrigerants to reduce potential hydrochlorofluorocarbon releases, which can be damaging to the ozone layer.

Significant Economic Impact to Northern California

The Port of Oakland serves the Bay Area, one of the most vibrant and fast-growing regional economies in the world. Cool Port also drives job growth in the region, employing roughly 200 people from Oakland and other nearby locations. Oakland, already a hub for ocean transport of chilled and frozen meat products, will see eight new jobs created each time 1,000 new containers are moved through the facility. The Port of Oakland currently provides employment for 73,000 workers, and this number is expected to continue to grow.