The €180-million investment, located in Robakowo near Poznań, covers 32 thousand square metres.
The facility - a joint project of DHL eCommerce, Post + Parcel Germany, and DHL Freight - features 3,000 m of conveyor belts and a sorting capacity of 45k/hour.
In addition, the centre houses DHL Freight's 4,170 m2, 50 cross-docks terminal, which is dedicated to processing palletized shipments and cargoes that are less-than-container-load.
The investment, which already received a Gold Innovation Award, was constructed in alignment with DHL's sustainability strategy. It has a photovoltaic system that provides one-third of the facility's energy needs (the remainder is supplied by purchased green power); its container & trailer-handling fleet consists of electric trucks; there are 40 e-vehicle charging stations; and an automated traffic management system runs the entrance & exit system.
Tobias Meyer, CEO of the DHL Group, commented:
With the new International Logistics Centre, we are expanding our capacities and capabilities to meet the growing e-commerce shipment volumes. This facility, equipped with cutting-edge technology, will improve the quality of service, making it a distinctive addition to our European network. It will reduce transit times to many European markets, particularly between Germany and Poland, underlining our commitment to providing our customers with fast and reliable cross-border shipping services.
His company also underlined in a press brief:
The strategic importance of the Poznań location was a critical factor in its selection. Many international retailers and e-tailers use Poland as a hub for their e-commerce shipments to and from Europe, especially Germany. Major retail brands and e-tailers have established their fulfilment centres and warehouses in Western Poland, making it an increasingly important e-commerce gateway to Europe. Additionally, the domestic parcel market in Poland has experienced extraordinary growth of nearly 120% over the past five years, primarily fuelled by the surge in e-commerce.
Photo: DHL Group