AyalaLand Logistics Holdings Corp., the industrial real estate arm of property giant Ayala Land Inc., plans to expand its cold storage capacity to more than 40,000 pallets by the end of the year, capitalizing on growing domestic demand for temperature-controlled supply chains.

In an interview, ALLHC Chief Operating Officer Patrick John C. Avila said they are adding about 14,000 pallets to their current footprint after completing two new facilities earlier this year.

The newly opened sites—Artico Sta. Rosa in Laguna province and Artico Consolacion in Cebu—have a combined capacity of 9,000 pallets.

A third facility is under construction within the Vermosa estate in Cavite province, which will add another 5,000 pallets to the company's network. Construction is on track for completion in the latter part of this year, Avila said.

Even as the logistics operator pushes ahead with its build-out, Avila said the management is turning its attention toward commercial performance. The company currently has nine operating cold storage facilities in the country. The focus right now is to stabilize operations and steady occupancy levels, Avila noted.

Alongside its cold chain expansion, AyalaLand Logistics is growing its traditional logistics business. The company recently opened ALogis Mabalacat, a dry warehouse facility located within the Pampanga Technopark in Pampanga. The new facility features 25,700 square meters of gross leasable area, expanding the total portfolio of the ALogis chain to 380,000 square meters.

To improve operational efficiency and advance its sustainability targets, Avila said the firm intends to install rooftop solar panels across all of its logistics assets. Currently, only the Artico Mandaue facility in Cebu generates its own solar power.

The company is structuring contracts with various suppliers and partners to implement solar installations across more locations this year. Management expects additional facilities to have operational rooftop solar systems by the end of December. AyalaLand Logistics is actively working on solar installations for its cold storage assets in Santo Tomas, Mabalacat, Iloilo, and Urdaneta.

The expansion is coinciding with an aggressive push to shift operations toward renewable energy through the government's Green Energy Option Program, which allows large power consumers to source electricity directly from renewable producers. The company has already transitioned four facilities to the program. It converted two sites this year and plans to transition an additional two to three facilities, which would bring its total number of program-compliant assets to five by the end of the year.

The firm has also secured EDGE certifications for its cold storage buildings, an international standard for energy and water efficiency in green real estate development.