Cold Solutions Achieves Prestigious Gold Certification
A Leading cold chain solutions provider Cold Solutions Kenya Limited has been awarded the prestigious Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED Gold) certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) following an assessment of its temperature controlled warehouses in Kenya, making it the only facility in Africa with this kind of certification and setting new standards in cold storage technology.
Cold Solutions is a cold chain network with presence across the East Africa region offering cold storage
facilities in addition to transport and logistics services for storing and distributing food and pharmaceutical products.
The company has been in operation in Kenya for the last 2 years and offers state-of-the-art temperature-controlled storage facilities and cold chain logistics. The company’s flagship facility is located in Tatu City and has capacity to store up to 18,000 pallets. Cold Solutions plans to replicate this in Mombasa, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania. The facilities will be constructed to grade A standards bringing global excellence to the cold chain industry.
The company which set up its operations in Kenya only two years ago was awarded the coveted
certification in the Gold category which is the second top most cluster in the certification criteria after
an evaluation of its facilities in Nairobi that met the global standards for green buildings.
LEED certification is an international rating system created by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
that evaluates the environmental performance of buildings and measures their sustainability. It
prioritizes energy efficiency, sustainable materials, indoor environmental quality, and innovation.
This certification elevates Cold Solutions business operations to international standards as the facility is
now classified as a green building, making it safe for human well-being, reduced environmental impact
and energy efficient.
The facility has already received certifications such as YUM!, FSSC 22000, World
Health Organization Good Distribution Practice (GDP) and the Pharmaceutical Poisons Board
certification for storing food and pharmaceutical products, and now, LEED Gold certificatio
Speaking at the event, Co-head of Cold Chain Strategy at ARCH Emerging Partners the investment firm funding Cold Solutions operations in East Africa Azhar Rifai said that Cold Solutions Kenya Limited continues to raise the bar in storage technology by applying innovation and embracing sustainability in its operations to enhance service delivery as he express his excitement.
“We are extremely excited to be awarded this prestigious certification and being the only temperature controlled warehouse in Africa to achieve this status is a vote of confidence on our business. . I would like to thank the team for their dedication and efforts to ensuring that the business meets all our sustainability and climate change goals in line with the UN SDGs on environmental responsibility and business environment operations.” he stated.
Additionally, he noted that for an organization to obtain a LEED Gold certification, a point system called the LEED credit library is utilized to track the environmental aspects addressed by the LEED project. This entails reducing carbon emissions, enhancing energy efficiency, and safeguarding the health and environment of the project’s surroundings.
“Achieving LEED Gold certification proves a project’s sustainability with dedication to environmental
responsibility and human well-being. For an organization to achieve LEED Gold or Platinum status, strict
adherence to all components of the rating system is crucial. It also underscores the fact that the green
houses gases (GHG) emissions are minimized with efficient equipment, renewable energy solutions (solar Power), water reclamation and Ammonia refrigeration hence supporting our clients in significantly
reducing emissions” he added.
The LEED rating system operates on a point-based mechanism, evaluating sustainable systems and
design elements employed in building projects. A maximum of 110 points can be awarded, enabling
buildings to attain LEED certification and serve as beacons for future sustainable development.
The highest point is Platinum which is achieved by attaining 80 plus points. Each certification level
signifies commendable attainment of prerequisites, such as reducing CO2 emissions, promoting
environmental sustainability, enhancing energy efficiency, optimizing indoor air and environmental
quality, improving energy performance, and prioritizing materials sustainability.
