DHL eCommerce will build a new parcel sorting centre at the Atlaspark in Amsterdam Westerpoort. The sorting centre will replace the current terminal on the same business park. With the new centre, the capacity will be expanded and the installations will be improved, so that more and better sorting can be done. The construction and furnishing involves an investment of a total of more than 35 million euros. The building is being developed by WDP and built by Aan de Stegge Twello. The opening is in the middle of next year.
European network component
The investment is prompted by the tremendous growth that DHL eCommerce is experiencing as the second largest carrier in e-commerce. In addition, the company is the market leader in the business-to-business segment. The Amsterdam branch is one of the 15 sorting centres in the Netherlands, which together with the 6 centres in Belgium form a Benelux-wide network. Together with similar networks in the most important European countries, a united European parcel network is thus formed. The importance of this is increasing visibly with the growth of cross-border e-commerce traffic.
Around the Amsterdam site, around 600 employees will be involved in the supply, removal and delivery of parcels. In total, DHL eCommerce employs approximately 6,500 people in the Netherlands.
Durable
In terms of technology, the centre will be equipped with a sorting installation with a capacity of 12,000 parcels per hour, with the possibility of further expansion. In terms of sustainability, the building will soon have to comply with the BREEAM Excellent standard for sustainable buildings. To this end, there will be, among other things, 4,700 solar panels on the roof, which will provide 80% of the required electricity. The building is also being prepared for charging electric trucks and vans.
Investment for growth
The new building of Amsterdam is the first in a series that will take place in the coming years. Investments that are necessary to steer growth in the right direction and that are also intended to expand the service level. In the past two years, 30 million euros have already been invested and in the next three years that amount will exceed 60 million. Recently, 10 million euros was invested in the expansion of the fleet with 400 residential-friendly smaller vans, including 100 electric ones. The investments also include the physical expansion of the network, more shipping services and IT innovations. For example, the number of DHL ServicePoints was expanded; consumers can now go to around 1,500 pick-up and drop-off locations. Furthermore, a start was made with placing parcel lockers where consumers can pick up or drop off their package with a PIN code. Furthermore, investments have been made in services such as time slot delivery, evening delivery and in possibilities for the consumer to change the location and time during delivery with the smartphone. Fast and economical deliveries from consumer to consumer, with connection to Deutsche Post's worldwide parcel network, are now also possible.
