Cold Room Standards in Turkey and Germany: Key Differences

Cold Room Standards in Turkey and Germany: Key Differences

Cold Storage Engineering: Beyond Temperature Control

Modern cold storage facilities are essential for food processing, pharmaceutical logistics, agriculture, frozen food distribution and temperature-sensitive industrial operations.

A successful cold room must do much more than maintain a specified temperature. It should deliver reliable insulation, controlled humidity, operational safety, hygienic conditions, efficient energy consumption and long-term structural performance.

Turkey has a well-established industrial manufacturing sector supplying insulated cold room panels, refrigerated warehouse doors and modular cold storage solutions.

Germany, meanwhile, operates within a regulatory environment where European product requirements, national building rules, technical documentation and project-specific safety assessments play important roles.

Can cold room panels and doors manufactured in Turkey be used in Germany?

The answer is yes, provided that applicable product, construction and installation requirements are met.

The essential distinction is not where a product is manufactured, but whether its performance and suitability for the intended project can be demonstrated.

1. Regulatory Framework: Turkey vs Germany

Cold storage projects in Turkey and Germany share many technical principles and European standards.

In Turkey, applicable requirements may include the national construction products framework, fire protection regulations, food hygiene rules, occupational safety legislation and relevant TS EN standards.

In Germany, cold storage construction may be subject to European construction product regulations, federal state building legislation, German technical building rules, DIN standards and specific fire protection concepts.

Important references include:

• EN 14509: Factory-made, self-supporting, double-skin metal-faced insulating sandwich panels.

• EN 13501-1: Reaction-to-fire classification of construction products.

• DIN 8986: Constructional safety requirements for certain cold rooms.

• EN 378: Safety and environmental requirements for refrigeration systems.

• Regulation (EC) No 852/2004: Food hygiene and cold chain protection.

• Regulation (EU) 2024/3110: Updated European construction products framework.

• Regulation (EU) 2024/573: Fluorinated greenhouse gases and refrigerant restrictions.

These regulations should not be interpreted as a universal checklist applying identically to every cold room.

The exact requirements depend on the building, product category, intended use, location and contractual technical specifications.

2. Insulated Cold Room Panels: Technical Performance Matters

Insulated sandwich panels form the thermal envelope of many industrial cold rooms.

Their performance directly affects heat gain, temperature stability, refrigeration workload and operating costs.

LIVAPAN, a Karsey Industry brand, represents the company's insulated cold room panel solutions.

Karsey Industry's stated production capabilities include:

• Panel width: 1,110 mm.

• Maximum production length: up to 13.50 metres.

• Available thicknesses: 60, 80, 100, 120, 150 and 200 mm.

• Stated polyurethane foam density: 42 kg/m³.

• Interlocking panel joint systems.

• Wall, ceiling and application-specific floor panel solutions.

This manufacturing flexibility supports cold storage applications with different dimensions and insulation requirements.

However, insulation thickness must be determined through engineering calculations rather than temperature alone.

Outdoor climate, indoor relative humidity, door-opening frequency, product loading, operating hours and thermal bridging all influence insulation selection.

A chilled fruit and vegetable storage facility has different requirements from a frozen food warehouse operating at -18°C.

Technical Documentation for the German Market

Depending on the application, German project specifications may require documented information concerning:

1. Thermal conductivity (lambda value).

2. Overall thermal transmittance (U-value).

3. Reaction-to-fire classification.

4. Mechanical strength and permissible spans.

5. Panel joint construction.

6. Air tightness and vapour control.

7. Surface durability and corrosion protection.

8. Applicable CE marking and declaration of performance.

Foam density alone does not demonstrate thermal efficiency, fire performance or structural suitability.

These characteristics must be established through appropriate testing, calculation and conformity assessment.

3. PUR and PIR: Understanding the Difference

Rigid polyurethane (PUR) and polyisocyanurate (PIR) insulation materials are widely used in sandwich panel applications.

Both technologies can provide effective thermal insulation when correctly formulated and incorporated into suitable panel systems.

Certain PIR formulations may offer improved reaction-to-fire characteristics compared with particular PUR formulations. Nevertheless, a material designation alone does not establish the fire classification of a finished panel.

The complete product construction, facing materials, core formulation and test conditions determine the declared performance.

For Karsey Industry's PUR panel solutions, compliance with project-specific thermal and fire requirements should be verified using relevant technical evidence.

4. Industrial Cold Room Doors: Operational Safety and Thermal Efficiency

Cold room doors are among the most frequently operated components of refrigerated facilities.

Every door opening creates the potential for warm, humid air to enter the refrigerated space.

This can increase refrigeration demand and contribute to condensation, frost and ice formation.

LIVADOOR, Karsey Industry's cold room door brand, includes solutions for different industrial applications:

• Insulated hinged cold room doors.

• Sliding and horizontal cold storage doors.

• Automatic motorised doors.

• Single-leaf flip-flap traffic doors.

• Double-leaf flip-flap traffic doors.

• Heating-assisted solutions for low-temperature sliding doors.

For German projects, door selection should consider more than panel thickness and opening dimensions.

Relevant technical aspects can include internal emergency release systems, door seals, operating forces, protection against hazardous movement, door frame construction and frost prevention.

Where personnel can enter a refrigerated room, safe exit arrangements are particularly important.

For automated doors, applicable product and machinery-related safety requirements must also be examined.

5. LIVADOOR Heating System: Addressing Door Icing

Ice formation around freezer doors can lead to difficult operation, damaged seals, increased energy consumption and safety concerns.

Karsey Industry has developed a LIVADOOR door heating solution intended to reduce icing around sliding cold room doors.

According to the company's described design, the system incorporates:

• A heating unit positioned above the sliding door.

• Resistance heating components.

• Thermostat-based temperature control.

• Thermal protection.

• Fan operation and LED status indicators.

• Heat distribution along the upper and side areas of the door, with a focus on reducing freezing around the frame and threshold.

For European applications, electrical safety, temperature control, energy consumption and frost-prevention effectiveness should be validated through the relevant conformity assessment and performance testing.

Effective frost management is particularly valuable where temperature differences and door-opening frequencies are high.

6. Fire Safety: Reaction to Fire vs Fire Resistance

Fire safety is a critical consideration for industrial cold storage facilities.

Two concepts must be distinguished.

Reaction to fire describes how a construction product contributes to the development of a fire.

Fire resistance describes how a complete building element, such as a wall or ceiling, maintains specified performance during fire exposure.

A sandwich panel with a declared reaction-to-fire classification does not automatically provide a fire-resistant wall rated EI30, EI60 or EI120.

In Germany, the Deutsches Institut für Bautechnik (DIBt) provides technical approval and construction technique procedures for certain sandwich panel applications.

Where fire resistance is required, panels, fasteners, joints, seals and the complete assembly may need to be assessed together.

Consequently, fire protection should be addressed during engineering design rather than after product delivery.

7. Cold Room Installation Procedures

A reliable cold storage project begins with accurate planning.

A typical installation workflow includes:

1. Identifying the required storage capacity and operating temperatures.

2. Surveying the construction site.

3. Calculating thermal loads and insulation requirements.

4. Selecting suitable panel thicknesses and door systems.

5. Checking building permissions, fire protection and safety requirements.

6. Manufacturing and transporting components.

7. Installing floor, wall and ceiling systems.

8. Installing doors and refrigeration equipment.

9. Testing seals, controls and safety functions.

10. Commissioning and documenting the completed installation.

Additional Considerations in Germany

In Germany, project teams must coordinate product performance documentation with applicable local building requirements.

Relevant matters may include structural design, fire safety concepts, installation details, technical construction rules and acceptance documentation.

Requirements can vary between federal states and project types.

There is no single universal cold room construction permit covering every facility in Germany.

8. Energy Efficiency and Lifecycle Costs

Energy efficiency is a major factor in cold storage economics.

Insufficient insulation, damaged door seals, uncontrolled openings and poorly designed panel joints may significantly increase refrigeration workload.

Important energy-efficiency measures include:

• Selecting the correct insulation thickness.

• Minimising thermal bridges.

• Using properly assembled interlocking panels.

• Maintaining effective door seals.

• Reducing unnecessary door-opening time.

• Considering automatic door operation where appropriate.

• Controlling condensation and frost.

• Monitoring room temperatures.

• Establishing preventive maintenance procedures.

The lowest initial equipment price does not necessarily deliver the lowest total cost of ownership.

Cold room investments should be assessed through their entire operating lifecycle.

9. Food Hygiene and HACCP

Temperature-controlled storage is fundamental to food safety.

Germany applies the EU food hygiene framework, including Regulation (EC) No 852/2004.

Turkey also maintains food hygiene requirements incorporating principles of hazard analysis and critical control.

Depending on the food operation, good practice includes:

• Maintaining suitable product temperatures.

• Monitoring critical temperature limits.

• Providing cleanable interior surfaces.

• Separating products where necessary.

• Controlling staff and material movement.

• Maintaining appropriate temperature records.

• Documenting corrective actions.

Properly selected panels and doors contribute to a facility that is easier to manage, clean and operate safely.

10. Refrigerants and EU F-Gas Legislation

Cold rooms combine insulation systems, doors, refrigeration machinery and control systems.

These elements may fall under different regulatory frameworks.

Regulation (EU) 2024/573 introduces phased restrictions on certain fluorinated greenhouse gases used in refrigeration equipment.

For specific categories of stationary refrigeration equipment, further prohibitions concerning fluorinated gases with a GWP of 150 or higher apply from 1 January 2030, subject to equipment classifications and relevant exceptions.

This development encourages the consideration of suitable lower-impact refrigerants and efficient cold storage engineering.

Although F-gas requirements primarily concern refrigeration equipment rather than the insulated panels themselves, they are important when planning complete cold room projects.

11. CE Marking and Documentation for Exports to Germany

Products manufactured outside the European Union can be placed on the German market when applicable EU legal requirements are fulfilled.

CE marking is mandatory only for product categories covered by legislation requiring that marking. It must not be applied to products outside the relevant scope.

Depending on product classification, technical documentation may include:

• Product data sheets.

• Engineering and installation drawings.

• Thermal performance reports.

• Fire classification reports.

• Mechanical performance assessments.

• Applicable declarations of performance.

• Applicable EU declarations of conformity.

• Installation and maintenance instructions.

• Manufacturing quality control records.

• Product identification and traceability data.

The revised EU Construction Products Regulation, Regulation (EU) 2024/3110, entered its broader application phase in January 2026, while transitional provisions remain relevant for individual product families.

Manufacturers and project suppliers should identify the applicable conformity route for each product.

12. Example Project: A -18°C Frozen Food Storage Room

Consider a frozen food storage room with a floor area of 100 m² and an internal height of 4 metres.

Target storage temperature: -18°C.

An appropriate engineering assessment would examine:

Panel system: Insulation thickness based on calculated loads, humidity and thermal performance. A 150 mm PUR panel might be considered, subject to verification.

Door system: Insulated sliding door suitable for low-temperature operation, with safe access and appropriate frost control.

Floor construction: Load-bearing capability, insulation, vapour management and protection against ground freezing where necessary.

Fire safety: Materials and assemblies suitable for the building's fire safety design.

Refrigeration equipment: Correct cooling capacity, refrigerant selection, temperature control and monitoring.

Commissioning: Operational tests, door safety checks, temperature performance and documentation.

The same engineering objectives can be achieved in Turkey and Germany, but the design must be checked against the regulations and project requirements of its destination.

13. Karsey Industry: Integrated Cold Storage Solutions

Karsey Industry approaches industrial refrigeration projects through complementary product groups.

LIVAPAN provides insulated panel solutions with multiple thickness options and interlocking construction.

LIVADOOR offers hinged, sliding, automatic and flip-flap door solutions for different operational requirements.

LIVACOLD represents modular cold room solutions and a system-oriented approach to cold storage projects.

Food processing plants, frozen food warehouses, pharmaceutical logistics facilities, fruit and vegetable storage businesses and industrial distribution centres require different storage conditions.

Selecting appropriate materials and systems for each project is essential.

Karsey Industry focuses on combining manufacturing capabilities with project requirements, installation considerations and long-term operational needs.

Conclusion: Engineering, Quality and Compliance Across Borders

Turkey and Germany share many of the same fundamental cold storage engineering principles.

The most important differences arise from project-specific building requirements, conformity procedures, documentation expectations and local implementation.

Reliable cold storage facilities depend on more than insulation thickness or refrigeration capacity.

They require coordinated engineering, suitable materials, operational safety, energy efficiency, validated product performance and professional installation.

Through LIVAPAN, LIVADOOR and LIVACOLD, Karsey Industry aims to support industrial cold storage projects with manufacturing expertise, product solutions and an international project-oriented perspective.

Looking for insulated cold room panels, industrial refrigeration doors or modular cold storage solutions?

Contact Karsey Industry to discuss the technical requirements of your next project.

KARSEY INDUSTRY
LIVAPAN | LIVADOOR | LIVACOLD
www.karseyindustry.com