Hunan to Construct Modern Cold Chain Logistics System in 3 Years

The Hunan Provincial People's Government recently issued an action plan on constructing a cold chain logistics system between 2022 and 2025.

According to the plan, a modern cold chain logistics system with reasonable layout, optimized structure, efficient operation, and standard management will be formed by 2025. The system will take the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan area as the core, supported by the three hubs in south Hunan, Dongting Lake, and west Hunan regions, and several featured bases as essential points.

Several backbone cold-chain logistics bases will be constructed. The system will be connected with the New Land-Sea Corridor in West China and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), help upgrade the Huaihua National Major Cold Chain Logistics Base, accelerate construction of the Huaihua International Land Port Cold Chain Logistics Park, support Huaihua to operate cold chain freight trains to the ASEAN countries, and build a regional logistics hub. Meanwhile, it will rely on Changsha as a national logistics hub city, support Changsha to apply for building a national backbone cold chain logistics base, coordinate the major cold chain projects in the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan area, and establish a closely-interconnected regional cold chain network.

Cold chain logistics facilities will be reinforced between the "first kilometer" from producers and the "last kilometer" to sellers. The plan required to give play to the role of the leading enterprises and the demonstration family farms and professional cooperatives at or above the county level, to construct an array of small-sized mobile cold chain warehouses in rural areas which can satisfy the demands of retaining freshness and precooling; accelerate construction of classified packaging facilities and promote facility lease service; and, develop a "mobile cold storage + distribution center (in logistics industrial parks)" mode. Urban commercial districts, business communities, and farmers' markets will be guided to co-construct and share small-sized public cold storages, and enhance the construction of the "last kilometer" or "last mile" facilities such as pre-positioned cold chain warehouses in urban areas. Mobile cold storages, intelligent cold chain vending machines, and self-service cold chain delivery cabinets will be widely used in urban areas for the "last-mile" delivery, to expand the coverage of urban cold chain network.

The plan also mentioned that, a "three vertical and four horizontal" cold chain logistics channel network will be built, based on seven artery expressways – Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao, Erenhot–Guangzhou, Changsha-Zhangjiajie, Hangzhou-Ruili, Shanghai-Kunming, and Quanzhou-Nanning. It will link the major cold chain logistics points together.