DHL Express intends to construct a new sorting facility and distribution center in Cologne-Marsdorf located ten kilometers off the airport. The future complex stretches over an area of 20,000 m2 and includes around 5,500 m2 of office space. To avoid misunderstandings, DHL Express is by no means closing its hub at CGN airport. Relocated will be its service center which is based in Escherstraße in Cologne, approximately 20 km outside CGN airport.
The move is unavoidable because the existing Escherstraße facility is technically outdated and no longer meets todays requirements a company spokesperson says, explaining the impending move.
The good news for CGN management is that the step will not impact the integrator’s cargo flights to and from CGN. “Cologne/Bonn will remain connected to our DHL Express network,” a company spokesperson assures when asked. Currently, DHL Express operates seven of these air services with its own freighter aircraft while four are carried out by partner airlines. This applies from Monday to Thursday, while on Fridays there are fewer movements as the ground staff’s working hours end at midnight.
First class facility
The new complex is expected to cost EUR 40 million. In return, DHL will receive a premium facility for its sorting and distribution services, capable of handling 6,000 packages per hour, allowing for quick and efficient processing of all national and international DHL Express shipments. The new freight terminal will include three so-called PUD (Pick-up and Delivery) fingers with direct loading and unloading capabilities for 78 delivery vehicles simultaneously, as well as 12 loading and unloading gates at the freight terminal.
Setting high environmental standards
“We continue to invest consistently in our network in Germany,” explains Mustafa Tonguç, CEO of DHL Express Germany. In addition, the manager addresses the ecological dimension of the project: “With heat pump technology, photovoltaics, and green roofs, we are significantly improving the CO₂ balance for our new location in Cologne.”
The new building will significantly enhance the capacity of the existing facility at CGN airport. Thanks to operational innovations, “we will achieve shorter processing time windows and improved processes in shipment handling. Through these investments, we will better connect our customer companies in the region with our global network,” Tonguç enthuses. Thanks to the solar panels, the building’s technical systems can be powered with up to 350 kW peak. The adjoining administrative building will be covered by a green roof consisting of grass areas and perennials.
TAPA Class A certification
Approximately 250 employees from operations and field sales will benefit from ergonomic workplaces in the office and freight warehouse. The complex will have 50 employee parking spaces, of which 23 will be equipped with electric vehicle charging stations in the initial phase. “At the new PUD fingers and the sorting center, we have created the conditions to ensure that as many of the shuttle services to and from the airport will be operated by e-vans,” a DHL speaker tells CargoForwarder Global.
Most importantly: The new facility will meet the security requirements of the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) and will receive the globally recognized TAPA Class A certification as the highest security level in air transport.
