Maersk’s integrated cold chain facility in Ruakura, Hamilton, has been awarded a 6-star Green Star – Design & As Built NZ rating by the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC), the highest rating under the country’s green building certification system.

Opened in February 2024, this cold store represents Maersk’s largest infrastructure investment in New Zealand to date. Strategically located along the Auckland-Tauranga trade corridor, the facility enables seamless intermodal cargo transfers between rail, road, and sea transport.

The 18,000-square-meter facility was delivered by Apollo Projects and was designed and built with a strong focus on energy efficiency and emissions reduction.

The Ruakura cold store incorporates several advanced decarbonization and energy-saving technologies, including a transcritical CO₂ refrigeration system that captures and reuses waste heat, condensate recovery for cooling tower sprays, and rainwater harvesting to reduce reliance on potable water.

In addition, the facility operates lithium battery-powered forklifts to enhance energy efficiency and minimize emissions. A rooftop solar panel array has been installed, generating over 1.52 megawatts of renewable energy for on-site consumption.

The 6-star rating by NZGBC is the highest level under the Green Star NZ – Design & As Built certification system. The rating scale ranges from 0 to 6 stars, with a 6-star rating (75 points and above) signifying world-leading performance. The Green Star framework aims to transform how buildings and communities are designed, constructed, and operated to achieve greater environmental efficiency. The system awards stars based on key sustainability criteria.