Magnavale Bristol Appoints Swisslog as Automation Partner

We are pleased to share a significant milestone in the development of Magnavale Bristol: Swisslog, a global leader in warehouse automation, has been confirmed as the automation partner for the project. The announcement comes as construction accelerates on site. Site levelling works are now complete, with piling underway for the building’s foundations.

The new facility, located at the junction of the M4 and M5 motorways in Bristol, will deliver 90,000 fully automated frozen pallet positions. It is designed to address a longstanding gap in high-capacity cold storage across the Southwest of England and South Wales, a region that has historically been underserved relative to the rest of the country.

Building on a proven partnership

The decision to appoint Swisslog was a natural one. Swisslog successfully delivered the automation system at Magnavale Easton in Lincolnshire; the largest single cold store ever built in the UK, and the Bristol project builds directly on that foundation, with the system adapted and enhanced specifically for this site. At the heart of the automation package is an approximately 45-metre high clad-rack automated High Bay Warehouse, with the warehousing system orchestrated by Swisslog’s SynQ software, providing real-time stock visibility, intelligent load sequencing, and FEFO/FIFO management across the full pallet estate.

Designed for resilience and flexibility

Magnavale Bristol has been engineered with no single point of failure. An intelligent monorail system with multiple entry points means operations can continue even in the event of a disruption, while inline pallet rectification and profile-checking stations will protect the integrity of every load. The system is designed to handle all standard pallet formats; CHEP, Euro and standard UK sizes, at heights up to 2.25 metres and weights up to 1,250kg. The facility will also include dedicated Value-Added Services levels, supporting picking, packing, labelling, blast freezing, date coding and handling export product. Running entirely on renewable energy, it will also feature a low oxygen atmosphere fire suppression chamber, reducing the need for traditional water-based systems.

A facility built for the Southwest

Positioned at the M4/M5 junction, Magnavale Bristol will offer direct road access to the Southwest and South Wales. Upon completion, it will become a critical piece of regional cold chain infrastructure, supporting supply chain resilience, food security, and sustainability for food businesses across the region and beyond. We will continue to share updates as construction progresses, but if you would like to find out more or discuss how the facility could support your supply chain, please get in touch.

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