Prologis continues sustainable projects: the country's largest DHL distribution centre significantly reduces fossil fuel consumption

One of the first and largest DHL Supply Chain distribution centres in the Czech Republic, located in Prologis Park Prague-Jirny, is significantly reducing its dependence on fossil fuels. The 100,000 m2 warehouse building now has a completely new heat pump heating system, which is making a major contribution to the building's energy efficiency. Prologis, in collaboration with its customers and partners, is implementing state-of-the-art sustainable solutions across all of its fleets, moving closer to its global goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2040.

The installation of efficient heat pumps is part of a long-term project to promote the energy efficiency and overall sustainability of the building and significantly reduce the building's reliance on natural gas heating. The solution includes four outdoor air-to-water heat pump units, each with a capacity of approximately 550 kW, and one indoor unit of 92 kW, which provides heating for the office space. The heat is distributed by means of water in the primary circuit, hot air sahars and destratifiers, which ensure even heating of the space and increase the thermal comfort of the employees while maintaining maximum efficiency.

Early measures include the installation of intelligent LED lighting controlled by daylight and movement in the warehouse and office areas, sealing of loading bays to minimise energy loss and watering of surrounding greenery with rainwater captured in underground tanks.

"In recent years, every new Prologis building has already met the requirements of BREEAM certification and automatically incorporates state-of-the-art environmental solutions and technologies. But sustainability and advanced technological solutions need not be the prerogative of new buildings. On the contrary, they can also be implemented in existing construction, often without the need for significant disruption to operations. We invest a significant amount each year in the renovation and modernisation of our buildings, and by installing modern, environmentally friendly solutions, we are moving closer to meeting the ambitious global zero-emission targets that not only we, but also the majority of our customers have. The joint project at the DHL distribution centre is a prime example of this," says David Jakeš, Prologis Development Director for the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

"I am very pleased that we have successfully implemented an ambitious project to minimise the dependence of our largest warehouse on fossil fuels in cooperation with our customer and the building owner, Prologis. A crucial step towards fulfilling our commitment was the launch of a new heat pump heating system. But it is far from the only one. From 2021, for example, we will be using an electric truck for transport at our site, while optimising all our operational activities with sustainability in mind," says Vladimír Kvítek, Director of the DHL Supply Chain distribution centre in Jirny.

Source.