Real Panel Romania cold storage project delivery demonstrates what happens when manufacturing capability, export logistics, and technical design support come together on a large-scale international project. When one of Romania’s leading frozen food distributors needed a complete insulated building envelope for their new 8,000 m² distribution center near Bucharest — including four separate temperature zones, 32 loading docks, and full HACCP-compliant hygienic interiors — they chose Real Panel as their single-source sandwich panel supplier.
This case study walks through the entire project: the challenge, the specification process, the panel solution, the delivery logistics, and the results. For construction professionals, developers, and cold chain operators considering a sandwich panel cold storage project in Romania or across Southeast Europe, this is a real-world example of what to expect when you work with Real Panel.
On this page:
- Project overview — the challenge
- Client requirements — 4 temperature zones
- The panel specification — what we supplied
- Technical design support
- Manufacturing & quality control
- Export logistics — factory to Romania in 9 days
- Installation & on-site support
- Project results — by the numbers
- What the client gained
- Your cold storage project — next steps
- Frequently asked questions
Project overview — the challenge
The project brief was ambitious: design, manufacture, and deliver the complete insulated building envelope for a new frozen food distribution center on the outskirts of Bucharest, Romania. The facility would serve as the central hub for a national frozen food distribution network, handling incoming products from across Europe and dispatching to retail chains throughout Romania.
The project timeline was tight. The steel structure was already under construction, and the client needed panels to begin arriving within six weeks of order confirmation to meet their operational launch deadline. Any delay in panel delivery would cascade through the entire construction schedule, pushing back the operational start date and costing the client revenue.
This Real Panel Romania cold storage project required a supplier who could deliver:
- Scale: 15,000 m² of panels across multiple types — facade, roof, and cold room
- Complexity: 4 different temperature zones requiring 4 different panel specifications
- Quality: CE-certified panels meeting EU food hygiene regulations and Romanian building codes
- Speed: First delivery within 6 weeks, complete delivery within 10 weeks
- Reliability: International export with guaranteed delivery dates — the construction schedule depended on it
Client requirements — 4 temperature zones
The frozen distribution center required four distinct temperature zones, each with specific panel performance requirements:
| Zone | Temp | Area | Panel type | Specification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ambient receiving | +15°C | 1,200 m² | PUR facade 80mm | Standard loading dock area |
| Chilled storage | +2°C | 2,400 m² | PUR cold room 100mm | Fresh produce, dairy holding |
| Frozen storage | -22°C | 3,200 m² | PUR cold room 150mm | Main frozen distribution |
| Blast freeze | -35°C | 800 m² | PUR cold room 200mm | Rapid temperature pull-down |
Additionally, the building exterior required 4,800 m² of PUR facade panels (80 mm) and 3,600 m² of PUR roof panels (100 mm) to create the insulated building shell that the cold room panels sit within.
All interior cold room surfaces required food-grade white polyester coating for HACCP compliance. The blast freeze zone specified plastisol 200µm coating for enhanced chemical and impact resistance during high-intensity cleaning cycles.
The panel specification — what we supplied
The complete Real Panel Romania cold storage delivery comprised:
| Product | Quantity | Key spec |
|---|---|---|
| PUR Facade Panels (80mm) | 4,800 m² | RAL 9002 exterior, micro-rib profile |
| PUR Roof Panels (100mm) | 3,600 m² | Trapezoidal, RAL 9006, 5-rib profile |
| PUR Cold Room Panels (100mm) | 2,400 m² | Cam-lock, food-grade white polyester |
| PUR Cold Room Panels (150mm) | 3,200 m² | Cam-lock, food-grade white polyester |
| PUR Cold Room Panels (200mm) | 800 m² | Cam-lock, plastisol 200µm inner face |
| Accessories package | — | Flashings, coved profiles, door frames, sealants, fasteners |
Total: approximately 15,000 m² of panels + complete accessory package — all from a single manufacturer, delivered to a single project, with guaranteed compatibility between every component. This single-source approach eliminated the coordination problems, delivery mismatches, and compatibility issues that multi-supplier cold storage projects frequently suffer.
Product details: PUR facade panels · PUR roof panels · PUR cold room panels · Accessories.
Technical design support
The Real Panel Romania cold storage project began with our technical team working alongside the client’s design consultants to optimize the panel specification:
- Temperature zone engineering: We calculated the required panel thickness for each zone using ambient temperature data for the Bucharest region (+35°C summer peak, -20°C winter design). The U-Value Calculator confirmed that 150 mm PUR achieves U = 0.15 W/m²K for the -22°C zone — exceeding the target by a comfortable margin.
- Panel layout drawings: Our technical team produced panel layout drawings showing panel positions, joint locations, door cut-out positions, and flashing details for each zone. These drawings coordinated with the structural steelwork to ensure panel dimensions matched purlin and girt spacings.
- Cold room door coordination: 32 loading docks required precise panel cut-outs and insulated door frame integration. We coordinated panel dimensions with the door supplier to ensure seamless installation.
- Hygiene specification: Food-grade surface selection (polyester vs plastisol), coved junction profiles, and hygienic door frame details were specified per HACCP requirements.
- Building permit documentation: CE certificates, EN 14509 compliance reports, and EN 13501-1 fire test reports were provided for the Romanian building permit application. Our documentation met Romanian regulatory requirements without additional testing or local certification.
This technical design support was provided at no additional cost — it is part of the Real Panel Romania cold storage project service. Our technical team supports every export project from specification through to installation guidance.
Manufacturing & quality control
The 15,000 m² panel order was scheduled across our continuous production line at the Real Panel manufacturing facility in Turkey. Production planning organized the five different panel specifications into optimized production runs:
- Week 1-2: Facade panels (4,800 m²) — first to install on the steel structure
- Week 2-3: Roof panels (3,600 m²) — installed after facade to close the building
- Week 3-5: Cold room panels by thickness (100mm → 150mm → 200mm) — installed after the building is enclosed
- Week 5-6: Accessories, coved profiles, door frames — final installation items
Every production batch underwent the 8-step quality control process documented in our manufacturing facility article: coil inspection, profiling, core injection, lamination, curing, cutting, quality testing, and packaging. For the Real Panel Romania cold storage project, additional cold room panel tests included cam-lock engagement force verification and EPDM gasket seal testing.
Export logistics — factory to Romania in 9 days
Export logistics is where many international panel projects fail — delays, customs problems, damaged panels, incomplete documentation. The Real Panel Romania cold storage project was designed to avoid all of these:
- Route: Factory (Turkey) → Bulgarian border crossing → transit through Bulgaria → Romanian border → project site near Bucharest
- Transit time: 9 working days from factory gate to site. Consistent across all 8 delivery shipments.
- Delivery schedule: 8 phased deliveries over 6 weeks, each coordinated with the installation team’s readiness. Panels arrived when the crew was ready — not sitting on site exposed to weather.
- Packaging: Export-grade protection — edge protectors, moisture-resistant wrapping, load strapping. Zero panel damage across all 8 shipments.
- Documentation: Each truck carried the complete CE documentation package, delivery notes, and customs paperwork. No border delays.
Our export logistics team managed the entire delivery chain. The client’s site team received advance shipping notifications for every truck, with expected arrival windows accurate to within 4 hours. The Turkey-Romania route via Bulgaria is one of the most established commercial freight corridors in Southeast Europe — and we use it weekly. See our export markets and logistics pages for more.
Installation & on-site support
While Real Panel does not provide installation crews directly, our technical support for the Real Panel Romania cold storage project extended to the construction site:
- Installation manuals: Detailed panel-by-panel installation guides provided in English and Romanian, with step-by-step cam-lock engagement instructions for cold room panels.
- Remote technical support: Our engineering team was available by phone and video call throughout the installation period to answer questions about panel handling, joint sealing, and flashing installation.
- Site visit: A Real Panel technical representative visited the site during the critical cold room panel installation phase to verify cam-lock joint engagement and inspect junction details.
Our installation guides and technical support resources are available for every project — export and domestic.
Project results — by the numbers
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Total panel area delivered | 15,000 m² |
| Number of temperature zones | 4 (ambient, chilled, frozen, blast freeze) |
| Loading docks | 32 |
| Panel types supplied | 5 (facade, roof, 3× cold room thicknesses) |
| Production time | 6 weeks |
| Delivery shipments | 8 phased deliveries |
| Transit time per shipment | 9 working days |
| Panels damaged in transit | 0 |
| Building permit delay (documentation) | 0 days |
| Temperature performance on commissioning | All 4 zones within ±0.5°C of target |
What the client gained
Beyond the panel products themselves, the Real Panel Romania cold storage project delivered several strategic advantages to the client:
- Single-source simplicity: One manufacturer for facade, roof, cold room panels, and accessories eliminated multi-supplier coordination headaches.
- Guaranteed compatibility: All panel types, flashings, and profiles designed as one integrated system — no on-site improvisation at junctions between different manufacturers’ products.
- Cost advantage: Turkish manufacturing value combined with European CE-quality certification provided significant cost savings compared to Western European panel suppliers, without compromising performance.
- Speed: 6-week production + 9-day delivery meant panels were being installed on the building while some Western European competitors were still processing the quote.
- Compliance confidence: Complete CE documentation accepted by Romanian authorities without queries. No additional testing, no delays, no local certification costs.
- Ongoing relationship: The client has since ordered panels for two additional cold storage expansion projects — the Real Panel Romania cold storage experience created a long-term supply partnership.
Your cold storage project — next steps
Whether your project is in Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, North Macedonia, Kosovo, or Turkey — Real Panel delivers the same manufacturing quality, technical support, and export reliability demonstrated in this Real Panel Romania cold storage case study.
Start your project: Request a Quote. Share your project location, temperature zones, building dimensions, and timeline — we respond within 24 hours with a preliminary specification and budget indication.
Explore cold storage solutions: Cold Storage · Food & Pharma · Hygienic Environments. Learn about our export markets and logistics capability.
Read more: How to choose the right core material · Sandwich panel pricing guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can Real Panel supply cold storage panels for projects in Romania?
Yes. This Real Panel Romania cold storage case study demonstrates our capability to deliver large-scale cold storage panel projects to Romania with 9-day transit from our factory. We serve Romania with full CE documentation, phased delivery scheduling, and technical design support. Request a quote.
What panel thickness is needed for -22°C frozen storage?
For a -22°C frozen storage zone with +35°C summer ambient conditions (typical for Romania), 150 mm PUR cold room panels achieve a U-value of approximately 0.15 W/m²K — sufficient for standard refrigeration systems. Use our U-Value Calculator for your specific conditions.
Does Real Panel provide technical design support for export projects?
Yes, at no additional cost. Our technical team provides U-value calculations, panel layout drawings, door cut-out coordination, hygiene specification guidance, and building permit documentation for every export project.
How long does delivery to Romania take?
Transit from our factory to the Bucharest area takes approximately 9 working days via the Turkey–Bulgaria–Romania overland route. Production lead time is 2-4 weeks depending on order size. For this Real Panel Romania cold storage project, first panels were delivered 6 weeks after order confirmation. Our export logistics team coordinates the full delivery schedule.
Can the same approach work for other countries?
Yes. We serve Bulgaria (5-7 day transit), Georgia (10-14 days), North Macedonia (7-10 days), and Kosovo (8-12 days) with the same manufacturing quality, technical support, and export logistics reliability demonstrated in this Romania project. Contact us for your project location.