Warehouse Project Construction Launched

On 23rd January, Prologis and Yusen Logistics (Germany) GmbH celebrated the start of construction of the logistics facility in Bottrop in accordance with Japanese and German tradition. After the traditional sake barrel ceremony ‘kagami-biraki’, the customary ground-breaking ceremony in Germany took place to officially start the development of the 57,200 square metre property.

A sustainable logistics facility with two properties is being built on the Braker Straße site, which Yusen Logistics will use as a new European central warehouse for Mitsubishi Electric. The buildings will be constructed in accordance with the BEG-40, WELL Building Gold and DNGB Platinum standards. To achieve this, the buildings will be constructed as so-called all-electric buildings and heated with heat pumps. Solar panels will be installed on the roofs of each of the two property units. This should enable Yusen Logistics to cover its entire electricity requirements. These measures help the company to save more than 7,000 tonnes of CO2 every year. Prologis is also creating a comfortable and pleasant working environment on the site with electric charging stations for cars and bicycles, green façades, an outdoor gym and table tennis tables. The brownfield project is scheduled for completion at the end of 2024.

“The logistics centre in Bottrop is a high-quality addition to our nationwide real estate portfolio, as the strategically advantageous and central location in the Ruhr region not only facilitates Yusen Logistics’ daily operations, but also supports efficient supply chains,” says Philipp Feige, Vice President, Head of Capital Deployment at Prologis.

Project manager Christina Deuß, Director, Capital Deployment Germany at Prologis, adds: “At the same time, it is in line with our sustainability strategy to reutilise old brownfield sites. The site, which was formerly used by a steel production company, is ideally suited for the construction of the logistics facility with high sustainability standards.”

Around 70 people attended the ground-breaking ceremony, including representatives from Prologis, Yusen Logistics, Mitsubishi, the responsible estate agent, the consultancy and construction company, the city of Bottrop and the Bottrop Economic Development Agency.

“The combination of Japanese and German traditions at the ground-breaking ceremony symbolises much more than just the start of a construction project. It symbolises the coming together of different cultures, reflecting our global perspective and the diversity of our partnerships,” explains Toshikazu Shiota, Managing Director at Yusen Logistics (Germany) GmbH. “The project also epitomises our efforts to increase the efficiency of our logistics services while demonstrating our commitment to sustainable practices. Our collaboration with Mitsubishi Electric and Prologis is an important step in advancing standards in the logistics industry.”