DSV opens a new 95,000 m2 warehouse and office premises near Copenhagen, according to the company's release. Together with DSV's other buildings in Hedehusene, the new warehouse will be part of one of the largest logistics centres in the Nordic Region, boasting an area of 231,500 m2 by the end of 2022. Sustainability has been a key focus area during the construction process, and an innovative battery solution is currently being tested to store energy from solar cells on the new building.
With its 95,000 m2, the new building will be the largest on DSV's plots in Hedehusene, at which DSV's global headquarters are also located. A fourth warehouse of approx. 38,000 m2 is also expected to be ready for use by the end of 2022. Once the construction work has been completed, the overall area will be one of the Nordic Region's largest single-user logistics facilities totalling 231,500 m2.
The main contractor on the building is DS Flexhal.
Among other features, the 95,000 m2 warehouse includes DSV's largest AutoStore installation. AutoStore is an innovative and automated storage and picking solution harnessing the power of robotics to effectively collect goods in a three-dimensional grid structure and then deliver them at the manually operated packing station.
In other parts of the building, GMP and GDP-certified cooling and freezing facilities have been constructed. This makes it possible for healthcare companies with very stringent storage requirements to handle their products in accordance with the existing rules and at several temperature zones extending to as low as -80 degrees Celsius.
The building has been constructed with an overall focus on sustainable solutions as well as reuse and recycling of materials. Traditionally, it has been difficult to obtain sustainability certifications for warehouse buildings due to the size of the huge projects. However, as one of the first major warehousing facilities, the building has already now received DGNB Silver pre-certification.
To minimise the carbon emissions from the operations, DSV is also testing a setup with solar cells on parts of the roof, combined with an innovative battery solution.
Provisional calculations from DSV's partner in the test project, Hybrid Greentech, show that the solar cell and battery solution can reduce carbon emissions by up to 42% relative to a scenario without solar cells and battery. The battery stores solar energy during the day, so that the energy can also be used during the evening and night. In connection with excess generation of solar energy during the day, the surplus energy can be supplied to the national power grid.
With the current solution, the annual carbon emission reduction will amount to approximately 113 tonnes of CO2 annually, which is equal to the annual heating and electricity consumption of 22 Danish houses of 135 m2. If the solar cell and battery solution is extended to the maximum possible volume in the warehouse, this will reduce the carbon emissions by an additional four to five per year.
About DGNB Certification
A DGNB certification is an independent third-party verification of the quality of a project. This means that DGNB is a quality stamp on the sustainability of the project. The DGNB certification focuses on the entire construction process from initial building start to hand-over. The certification process comprises virtually all aspects of the building, such as choice of materials, surface treatment, reuse and recycling, employee facilities, indoor climate as well as consumption of electricity, water, etc.