GLP and DHL Open Largest Solar Powered Logistics Facility in Brazil
Located in a Distribution Center (DC) in Louveira (São Paulo’s countryside), the plant has a power of 785 kWp and generates 80% of energy demand from the facility
The DC operation is LEED Gold E&B certified for good environmental practices and uses electric carts for product distribution
DHL Supply Chain, a leader in warehousing and distribution, and GLP, a leader in real estate investment management, logistics and related technologies, have teamed up to make Nike's DC one of the most sustainable storage facilities in Brazil. Located in Louveira (São Paulo's Countryside) and with 26,700 m² of built area, the DC adds sustainable best practices and a solar power plant on the warehouse roof that produces 80% of the operation's energy demand and was recently inaugurated. The power generation capacity of the plant is 785 kWp, with an average monthly generation of approximately 100 thousand kWh. Such generation capacity is the highest in a logistics enterprise in the country. In the first month, the daily average production was exactly within the planned 785 kWp.
In addition to being responsible for the management of Nike's warehousing and distribution operations, DHL built a technical proposal in partnership with GLP - the property owner - thus forming the partner team that made Nike's project a reality. GLP was responsible for the implementation and required adaptation works. Nike and DHL, in turn, provided the necessary support to make the project feasible. Louveira's DC is Nike's logistics hub in the country, with more than 50 thousand pallet positions, and is responsible for supplying retailers and self-owned stores throughout Brazil. The operation also uses innovative technologies such as Ring Scanner, Optislot and Robotic Process Automation (RPA).
For Mauricio Barros, CEO of DHL Supply Chain, “This initiative reinforces our purpose of connecting people and improving lives. We offer our customers end-to-end logistics solutions, which also bring sustainable practices that value the well-being of the society in which we operate. For the development of this project, there was a balanced division of risks, responsibilities and investments to demonstrate that a Sustainable Distribution Center is economically feasible”.
In addition to environmental and logistics excellence, the project's goal was also to meet DHL and Nike's sustainable emission reduction targets. Both organizations intend to reduce their carbon footprints to zero in the next few years. The solar energy that will be used is 100% clean and will avoid the emission of about 630 tons of polluting gases per year in the storage and distribution of products.
In line with this proposal, the operation is LEED Gold E&B certified. Created by U.S. Green Building Council, the certification is the most important international recognition in terms of sustainability and evaluates aspects related to location, water use efficiency, ventilation, lighting, good building and employee practices, innovation, among others. In the Sustainable DC, initiatives such as selective waste collection, water reuse, and the employment of electric cars for product distribution in Greater São Paulo are adopted - there is even a dedicated charging point in this DC.
The president of GLP Brazil, Mauro Dias, explains that another important factor for sustainability in logistics operations is the optimization in consumption of energy and natural resources. The condominium sheds have natural lighting, which allows for energy savings of up to 100% - operating with the lights off - and uses LED lamps, which reduce energy consumption by up to 70%, and it also features hydro-sanitary devices that reduce water consumption. "The construction standard applied globally by GLP prioritizes efficient consumption of energy and natural resources, thus preventing the emission of pollutants and promoting sustainable design in buildings."
