Scannell Properties and ID Logistics Open 32,600-Square-Meter Cold Storage Center for Lactalis Deutschland in Steinau
Lactalis Deutschland and ID Logistics on Oct. 13 opened the Steinau cold storage logistics center in Hesse, Germany, a build-to-suit facility developed by Scannell Properties, the firm announced Oct. 19. Construction finished on schedule, and cheese products have been moving into the warehouse in stages for several weeks. Full operation is planned for the second quarter of 2027.
Build-to-Suit Cold Storage Development in Steinau
Scannell Properties developed the logistics center, which totals about 32,600 square meters of hall space, in cooperation with the ID Logistics Group for Lactalis, a global dairy company. The property is in Steinau an der Straße, in Germany's northern Rhine-Main region near the A66 motorway, which connects to the A7 and A45. The site covers approximately 68,400 square meters under a land-purchase agreement signed by Scannell Properties, and the project was completed in 2026.
The property is specialized for handling chilled food and comprises three units. Lactalis Deutschland uses two of the hall sections, totaling approximately 22,000 square meters, for chilled storage of its full product portfolio. ID Logistics and Lactalis signed a 20-year lease and logistics contract. Fabrikon served as general contractor, and symbolic groundbreaking took place Sept. 18, 2025. The original delivery target was the third quarter of 2026.
ID Logistics Takes a Dual Role
ID Logistics both operates the site as a contract logistics provider and developed the property with Scannell Properties over three years. That work covered site selection, building design, customer-specific intralogistics and long-term operations.
"The special thing for us is that we take on a dual role for Lactalis in this project," said Robin Otto, CEO of ID Logistics Germany, at the Oct. 13 opening. "We not only operate this site as a contract logistics provider, but have jointly developed the property with our longtime partner Scannell Properties over three years, tailored precisely to needs, from selecting a suitable site through building design and customer-specific intralogistics to permanently stable operation."
ID Logistics expects inbound and outbound flows of up to 2,000 pallets per day each, and the operation is expected to create 80 new jobs in contract logistics. ID Logistics previously said the development would provide roughly 10,000 square meters of capacity for future growth.
Energy-Efficient Refrigeration and Sustainability Features
Jan Imfeld, Country Head, Germany at Scannell Properties, said designing an energy-efficient and ecological solution for continuous cold storage areas of this size was particularly demanding. The facility uses an ammonia-based refrigeration system that holds temperatures constant between 2 and 5 degrees Celsius. Heating is supplied by waste heat from the refrigeration system, and a 2-megawatt-peak rooftop photovoltaic system supplies electricity to the warehouse.
The property also features a reduced-carbon construction approach, a heat pump and electric-vehicle charging stations.
Lactalis Deutschland Centralizes Logistics
The location was selected to meet Lactalis Deutschland's needs. "With the new cold store, we are investing in the future of our business and underscoring our clear commitment to Germany as a location," said Tiago Lopes, Supply Chain Director at Lactalis Deutschland. "Centralizing logistics in this geographically optimal region allows us to bundle delivery flows, shorten transport routes and create additional capacity. This makes our supply chain more efficient, more capable and more sustainable."
Market Context
Scannell Properties has characterized demand for new cold-storage capacity as rising partly because of aging existing facilities. Cold-storage buildings are more difficult and expensive to develop than conventional warehouses because they require specialized refrigeration, insulation, power infrastructure and energy-management systems. Ammonia refrigeration is well suited to large industrial cold-storage applications, though it requires specialized safety and maintenance systems.
The Steinau project reflects customer-specific build-to-suit development in logistics real estate, in which an occupier and logistics operator work with a developer on a purpose-built facility instead of leasing generic warehouse space.
Sources
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