DIARIO DEL PUERTO COLD CHAIN LOGISTICS - FRUIT LOGISTICA 2022 20 Logistics operators and cold storage facilities One of the major challenges for cold chain logistics companies will be to try to balance energy costs with revenues. MAJOR CHALLENGES: OFFSETTING ENERGY COSTS AND ASSERTING THEIR IMPORTANCE The main, critical and most significant challenge for cold chain logistics operators will be to try to balance their bottom line taking into account the negative impact of energy costs. This, in turn, requires a range of measures, such as improving the operability of cold stores by taking energy tariffs evenmore into account, optimising the energy efficiency of compressors and refrigeration equipment, intensifying negotiations to obtain energy prices that are more in line with the sector’s needs, and continuing to incorporate technologies that enhance efficiency. In addition, Marcos Badenes, ALDEFE’s General Secretary, talks about continuing to provide a ”premium” service to customers, improving food control and traceability and introducing new operating methods such as blockchain technology and improving the online visibility of the Association’s members. In addition, Badenes stressed the need to assert the importance of each and every one of the companies in the sector at state, regional and local level. ”They aremainstays in the places they are located in. They are companies steeped in tradition which, due to their characteristics, establish their residence and business activities in a particular location for many years”. For this reason, ”it is important for people to know that they are the backbone of the community”. Promoting the importance of logistics operators specialising in handling temperature-controlled goods means being more assertive. And here, once again, the significance of energy costs comes into play. Therefore, the main demand made by ALDEFE is to recognise their operations as energy-intensive consumers or, failing that, making this industry eligible for aid to streamline energy costs, both through tax exemptions and direct aid for modernisation and enhanced energy efficiency. According to Marcos Badenes, neither of these needs are currently covered by government, ”to which, on the other hand, we contribute around €6 billion in annual turnover and provide direct employment for 20,000 families. We cannot continue to be invisible to government”. However, energy is not the industry’s only hobbyhorse. Hidden competition from private cold stores offering services at much lower costs than those offered by the public cold storage sector is affecting business, a situation which isaconsequence “of theserviceandquality standards of ALDEFE’s member companies”. To increase this freecompetition, the Association is in favour of ”unifying the operating and start-up rules for the sector”. This is ”very ”desirable”, as ”the regional and municipal jigsaw puzzle hinders our operations and is a direct attack on freemarket competition”.
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