A pre-cooling tunnel, also called a California-style forced-air tunnel, is a post-harvest system that brings fruit and vegetables down in temperature right after picking. High-capacity forced air, driven by industrial-grade Thermo King compressors, takes product from field heat to 32°F (0°C) quickly and evenly, protecting freshness, texture and shelf life. Because it's containerized, it installs right at the point of harvest, with no construction.
Compact setup for mid-size operations: 10 pallets, 50,000 m³/h of forced air and 204,725 BTU/h of refrigeration.
We built our own forced-air system together with Thermo King, which officially supports the communication protocol. Airflow and ventilation differ from a standard unit: we already cool export table grapes as fast as the latest-generation tunnels.
Drag the card or use the arrows to hear from the teams that trust ZGROUP.
“As a blueberry grower focused on putting high quality fruit into the fresh market, quickly cooling fruit after harvest is essential. This can be challenging with large farms in remote areas, but Z Group brought an effective cooling solution that is affordable for our 12 week season. Having worked with Z Group now for multiple seasons, we are thankful for their containerized solutions that can go from concept to installed in just a matter of months.”
| Feature | ZGROUP pre-cooling tunnel | Fixed pre-cooling tunnel |
|---|---|---|
| Time to start | Delivered in under 60 days, installed in 2–5 days | Months of construction |
| Construction | none | required |
| Investment | seasonal rental, no CapEx | high, tied-up capital |
| Location | in the field, next to the harvest | fixed, often far from the field |
| Off-season | return or relocate it | idle capacity |
| Refrigeration warranty | 5 years, Thermo King | 1 year at most |
Tell us your crop and daily volume; we'll get back to you with availability and a recommended setup.
