DHL EXPRESS OPENS NEW CITYHUB IN FIRST CIRCULAR, ECO-EFFECTIVE BUSINESS PARK BLUE GATE ANTWERP

• CityHub for Antwerp region is DHL Express' largest distribution centre in Belgium
• As of now, deliveries in the city are made exclusively with zero-emission transport vehicles
• Blue Gate Antwerp (the former Petroleum South area) is the first eco-effective circular business park in Belgium
• The BREEAM-certified distribution centre was built ecologically
• DHL Express Belgium will recruit 600 new employees

Antwerp, 10 March 2021 - DHL Express, the international express service of Deutsche Post DHL Group, is officially opening its newest CityHub for the Antwerp region at Blue Gate Antwerp today in the presence of Claude Marinower, alderman for Economy, Innovation and Industry of the city of Antwerp. The urban distribution centre, inspired by the VIL project R!Sult, will collect and deliver an average of 50,000 packages per week to the city of Antwerp and its suburbs. The city centre will only be serviced by ecological, electric vehicles. At full capacity, the new CityHub will employ 125 people.

To accommodate the strong growth in express services, driven in part by the e-commerce boom, the company is launching an ambitious recruitment plan for DHL Express in Belgium. Over a two-year period, a total of 600 new employees will be recruited for jobs in all areas of the company.

Managing Director of DHL Express Belux, Danny Van Himste, formally inaugurated the newest CityHub for the Antwerp region today. The opening was attended by Claude Marinower, alderman for Economy, Innovation and Industry of the city of Antwerp, Peter Demuynck, CCO of real estate investor Montea and Peter Garré, managing director of Blue Gate Antwerp and property developer Bopro.

Largest CityHub

From its base in the new CityHub, DHL Express will supply the city of Antwerp and the surrounding municipalities. The new 12,000 m² facility, the largest one DHL Express operates in Belgium, will handle up to 50,000 packages per week. It replaces their previous centre close to Noorderlaan in the Northern part of Antwerp, which had been bursting at the seams and was no longer suitable for modern and sustainable urban logistics.

"This new CityHub takes us one giant step closer to our mission of becoming fully carbon neutral by 2050. It will drastically reduce our CO2-emissions because of its perfect location, allowing us to only use electric cargobikes and delivery vans for optimal city distribution," says Danny Van Himste, managing director BeLux at DHL Express.

Electric cargobikes and delivery vans

From now on, half of the packages destined for the city centre will be delivered by electric cargo bikes, the Cubicycles, and the other half by electric delivery vans of the e-Crafter type. The goal is to make the entire Antwerp delivery service, including the suburbs, the port and the wider area, CO2-neutral by 2030 by deploying ninety electric delivery vehicles.

Carbon-neutral future at ecological Blue Gate Antwerp

DHL Express’ choice of the eco-effective Blue Gate Antwerp business park fits in seamlessly with their ambitious GoGreen programme, aiming to make the express delivery service completely CO2-neutral by 2050.

Moreover, the BREEAM-certified DHL Express building has also been built ecologically. For example, thanks to the business park's location along the water, the majority of building materials could be delivered by water. In addition, 1,000 solar panels provide the building with renewable energy while its connection to a heating network allows it to exchange heating with other companies and use renewable energy when available.

Transitioning to circular economy

Blue Gate Antwerp is the first eco-effective and circular business park in Belgium. It offers companies 63 hectares of space for sustainable and circular business. Sustainability is the key word for both the development of the business park itself and its interaction with its surroundings and other companies.

Claude Marinower, chairman of Blue Gate Antwerp and Antwerp's alderman for Economy, Innovation and Industry: "BGA is strongly committed to the transition towards a sustainable and circular economy. We are investing in the economy of the future. In the meantime, Blue Gate Antwerp has already evolved considerably and is now ready for the next step: welcoming the arrival of companies. That is why I am happy to see that DHL Express, a company that fully endorses the sustainable ambitions of Blue Gate Antwerp and the city of Antwerp, is officially moving in today. DHL Express’ goal to become CO2-neutral by 2050 is a perfect fit with Blue Gate Antwerp’s vision. While they are already working on sustainable city deliveries, for example with their Cubicycles, Blue Gate Antwerp will allow them to focus even more on innovation and achieve their ambitions.”

Investment by Montea

Montea - one of Belgium's largest logistics real estate investors - invested in the development of the brand new logistics building. Jo De Wolf, CEO of Montea, says: "The covid-19-crisis has definitely ushered in e-commerce’s breakthrough. With its ambitious project, DHL Express is taking urban distribution in Antwerp to a whole new level. Montea is particularly honoured to be a partner in this unique project and thus help provide an answer to the challenging issue of sustainable urban delivery."

"Blue Gate Antwerp will allow DHL Express to live up to its sustainable ambitions, thanks to our three key starting points: our local anchoring, our circular business model and sustainable buildings. The synergy with the city is clear from DHL's ambitions to become a CO2-neutral company by 2050. The BREEAM ‘Excellent’ score confirms and guarantees the sustainability ambitions for this building. It all proves that sustainable, innovative entrepreneurship is possible. DHL Express is setting the example in this first circular eco-effective business park," adds Peter Garré on behalf of Blue Gate Antwerp Development nv.

600 new jobs in Belgium to accommodate growth

DHL Express has ambitious plans, not just in terms of sustainability. To support its strong growth - driven among others by the e-commerce boom - DHL Express will recruit 600 new employees in Belgium over the next two years. New jobs will not only be situated in the courier service but also include administrative functions. At full capacity, the new CityHub in Antwerp alone will employ a total of 125 people.

END