New Docklands electric vehicle hub to enable 80,000 'green' parcel deliveries a day, while creating 650 jobs
Logistics giant DPD has officially opened a new £40m 'eco-sortation centre' in London's Docklands, providing a hub for 500 electric vehicles (EVs) that are expected to make up to 80,000 zero emission deliveries a year.
The company said the new facility will allow it to meet its pledge to provide green final mile deliveries in the UK's 30 largest towns and cities.
The hub will also be served by a fleet of larger HGVs that will be refuelled from a 40,000 litre tank for renewable biofuels, ensuring the entire facility is a diesel-free operation.
Meanwhile, solar arrays on a parking canopy at the site will help to charge the 500 electric delivery vans that will be based at the hub.
The new facility, which is the size of 8.5 football pitches, is set to create 650 new jobs when fully operational from early in the new year and will mean that DPD's delivery service within London's north and south circular area will be all-electric.
A further solar array is set to be installed on the roof of the building next year, which is expected to generate up to one million kwh per annum to help power the entire building.
The opening ceremony was performed yesterday by Transport Secretary Mark Harper, who welcomed the investment in an expanded electric fleet that should serve to cut emissions and air pollution.
"I was delighted to attend the opening of DPD's new London hub, which will speed up delivery times, create new jobs and support an important industry that contributes billions to our economy," he said.
Elaine Kerr, CEO at DPD UK, said the investment "represents another huge step towards our net zero goals and, I believe, demonstrates the new gold standard for a green parcel delivery operation in London, or any city".
"It is also great to be able to share our vision with so many of our retail partners, who have backed us on this journey to create genuinely cleaner and greener solutions for their customers," she added. "This represents a major milestone in our green journey. We opened the UK's first all-electric parcel delivery depot in Westminster almost exactly five years ago. Now Docklands demonstrates what is possible, on a much bigger scale.
"But this is far from the end. We are constantly looking for new and smarter solutions, as we demonstrated earlier this year with the roll-out of autonomous robot deliveries, and we will continue investing in green innovation to accelerate our decarbonisation pathway."