Maersk to diversify its logistics in Western Europe
Maersk, a leading global shipping line, is developing its end-to-end logistics in Western Europe. To this end, it will build a warehouse in Duisburg, the region’s largest dry port with multimodal options for moving freight. This will allow the Danish company to offer new solutions and make the existing ones more flexible.
A.P. Moller – Maersk has received the building permit to construct a new Flow Warehouse in Duisburg, one of the largest inland logistics hubs in all of Europe. The next step is the beginning of the construction works that may be commenced in the coming months. “We are thrilled that we will soon be able to offer our diverse logistics solutions to our customers at this key crossroads between Western European markets,” said Jens-Ole Krenzien, Maersk’s managing director for North Europe Continent.
Maersk Flow Warehouse
The Maersk Flow Warehouse will have an area of 43,000 square metres where the company can offer cross-docking, pallet storage and all value-added services along the supply chain – from customs clearance to consolidation and deconsolidation. It will be built by the experienced German developer Goldbeck International by the third quarter of 2023. The warehouse’s 84 dock levellers will handle up to 32,000 40-foot containers annually. In total, the investment plot, located within the port area, has an area of 110,000 square metres with the extension option for 50,000 square metres of open space.
By using an innovative method of modular construction, a significant portion of the CO2 emissions that would otherwise be generated during the construction of a warehouse of this size will be avoided. Due to having special building insulation, heat pumps and a roof-mounted photovoltaic system, the warehouse is expected to earn a BREEAM Excellent rating. Moreover, greenery will be planted on some parts of the roofs, facades and a noise barrier, and nesting boxes for bats and birds will be installed on the exterior walls.
Multimodal options
Maersk’s new facility will have direct access to the Rhine, nearby roads and railways, which creates many options for arranging new logistics solutions. According to the shipping line., all modes of transport come together in Duisburg – inland barges on the central Rhine waterway (connecting to the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam), major railway lines (to the ports of Northern Germany), and trucks via the main road axes of some of Western Europe’s largest economies. In addition, the air freight hubs of Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Cologne/Bonn and Düsseldorf can be quickly reached from Duisburg, which is also a key European logistics hub connecting the Mediterranean and Adriatic gateways.
“For our customers, it will be a value-adding decoupling point optimising transport modes and creating flexibility in their product flows. We will be able to increase the speed to market significantly for our customers by enabling them to bypass their European gateway or stock-keeping warehouses,” added Jens-Ole Krenzien continues.