warehouses Archives

Sustainable Power for Warehousing

Posted on 27 January, 202329 July, 2025 by David Priestman

Tritax Symmetry has entered into its first joint enterprise project with BasePower, a developer and operator of sustainable energy services, to supply clients at Symmetry Park Biggleswade with uninterrupted greener, cheaper warehousing power solutions, through the creation of a new on site 2MW energy centre.

Located on a greenfield site where the grid is constrained, the centre will augment the grid with renewable and resilient generation from a number of sources including rooftop solar PV, batteries and a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant.

The announcement is the latest in a series of sustainability measures the developer has taken in recent years to de-carbonise its schemes including achieving net zero carbon in construction across all of its construction programmes.

The project was specified, designed, procured and built by BasePower who will continue to develop energy systems in line with the evolving needs of the tenants.

The principal contractors on the project included Rolls Royce, whose Power Systems division installed the mtu-brand CHP systems, battery units and standby generators. Powersystems UK acted as the high voltage (HV) specialist partner for the electrical infrastructure. Service personnel from Rolls-Royce Power System’s UK subsidiary will provide ongoing maintenance to ensure operational excellence.

Speaking about the alliance, Tom Leeming, development director at Tritax Symmetry commented: “One of the priorities our clients have when deciding on a new location for their business is power. As a responsible developer, we realised the need to supplement and enhance the national grid supply to ensure a continuous, robust and greener alternative power supply for our occupiers.
“The installation of energy centres on our parks will provide tenants at the site with greater resilience, more competitive energy and a pathway to fully net zero carbon in occupation. As the energy centre is managed by a separate entity, all maintenance and repairs are delivered cost free with no risk to the occupier. We estimate a saving of between five and ten percent on grid energy bills, and the energy centres are also upgradable if extra power is needed, such as by adding additional PV.”

Dan Poulson, co-founder at BasePower continued: “The need for the creation of alternative energy resources has never been greater and we are proud to have been selected by Tritax Symmetry for this project in Biggleswade along with multiple energy projects on their other sites. Across our business we currently operate ten energy centres in the UK with a further 20 in development. Through their lifecycles we invest to enhance each site to deliver increasing levels of decarbonisation as client requirements evolve.”

Rob Pitt, Director – Operations at Rolls-Royce Solutions UK commented: “This project has been a great opportunity for collaboration and partnership with the client team from initial concept design through to project delivery and ongoing operational support. Our extensive product portfolio and system capabilities enabled us to provide an integrated microgrid solution that enhances the local grid supply and delivers on the brief for cleaner, resilient power that can flex in line with site demands”.

Mezzanine Floors Help Warehouses Save

Posted on 26 January, 2023 by Keith McKinley

Mezzanine floors aren’t just a great space saving tool, they’re also money savers that are sure to help your business in the long run. Alfa Industrial, a leading engineering solutions provider, told us how you can save money by building a new floor within your warehouse.

Energy saving
Mezzanine floors are placed high off the ground. As you heat your warehouse during the winter, the warmth will rise to the top, making your mezzanine floor the perfect place for an office, meeting room or staff room.

Having a mezzanine floor also means you will have a smaller area of space to heat, as opposed to having multiple rooms, allowing you to save a considerable amount on energy bills.

No need to expand your facilities
By expanding your warehouse space through traditional means (building extra rooms or relocating) you will spend a large sum of money that you can otherwise avoid with a new mezzanine floor. These systems provide a solution to your lack of space by allowing you to expand your warehouse for a much cheaper price.

Less time shutting down operations
Mezzanine floors can be built in as little time as one day, allowing you to shut down your operations for only the minimal amount of time possible. This will ensure that you only lose a minimal amount of revenue from the shut down of your facility.

Dismountable
Avoid spending money on sizing down on your equipment with a mezzanine floor! Mezzanine floors can be dismounted and built again, allowing you to move your infrastructure anywhere your business takes you next. This permanent expansion option will allow you to keep your preferred layout for your equipment wherever you go.

No planning permission cost in some cases
Section 55(2)(a) of the UK Town and Country Planning Act 1990 allows internal works without the need for planning permission. However, Article 44 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015 (SI 2015/595) details that you cannot make internal alterations of more than 200 square metres for buildings used for the retail sale of goods other than hot food, so make sure you plan accordingly.

If you do not need planning permission to build a mezzanine within your warehouse, you are able to save a lot of time and thousands of pounds.

Keep your money within the business
If you own a business, you know how important it is to keep production costs low and to ensure the money you spend is done so wisely. If you decide to expand your warehouse with a mezzanine floor instead of renting a new warehouse, you’ll be able to keep that money as an investment for your business as opposed to giving that money to a landlord.

Increase in speed of workflow
By increasing the amount of space available for your employees to work in, Alfa Industrial say, you can improve the workflow in your facility. Increasing the speed at which your warehouse produces your products will create more revenue, allowing your new mezzanine floor to pay for itself.

Warehouses Struggle to Forecast Demand

Posted on 13 January, 20237 August, 2025 by David Priestman

A new survey commissioned by ProGlove, leader in wearable barcode scanners, has identified the ongoing struggles of warehouses trying to predict demand patterns accurately. Of those surveyed, just 39 per cent of respondents felt they could accurately predict trends and activity for the holiday season.

Forecasting demand is one of the cornerstones of successful warehouse management. Yet, 51 per cent of respondents stated that forecasting demand was their biggest inventory management concern. In order to forecast demand accurately and avoid stock surplus or shortfalls, organisations need a predictable logistics landscape. Unfortunately, 2022 was not a year for predictability, and 2023 is already continuing on a similar trajectory. The war in Ukraine, inflationary pressures and the impact of the Covid outbreak in China on global supply chains are just a few factors creating an uncertain environment for warehouses this year.

Uncertainty throughout supply chains over the 2022 peak holiday season has continued into 2023

1 in 5 (19%) respondents stated they weren’t prepared for the peak holiday season in 2022. Looking ahead, less than 2 in 5 (38%) expect supply chain issues to be largely resolved next year. The research, therefore, demonstrates that warehouses must develop resilience to counteract what is expected to be a turbulent year ahead. Instead of focusing on the external factors they can’t control, organisations need to look at their internal operations and focus on what they can control.

Building resilience in the warehouse

When asked whether they felt adequately prepared for the changing retail patterns of the peak holiday season, just 12 per cent of those surveyed said they felt ‘very prepared’. Employees are looking for the tools to build preparedness from the shop floor to the C-level. By factoring external instability into their operations as a constant, businesses can move beyond fretting and look to building advanced solutions.

Ilhan Kolko, CPO of ProGlove, commented, “Resilience comes from a well-equipped, motivated and safe workforce with transparent and extensive knowledge of their roles and processes. Investing in human-centred technology, and seeking out efficiency gains built around the human worker, can provide the stability warehouses are looking for. The findings in our survey confirm what has been self-evident to those in the warehousing and logistics industry for a few years. External factors are wreaking havoc on the ability of businesses to predict demand and prepare for new challenges. Organisations need to focus on building agile and efficient processes through data-driven insights into the internal workings of the shop floor. Building certainty in the warehouse protects from uncertainty outside of it.”

Last-mile Logistics Estates in Greater London acquired

Posted on 16 August, 20227 August, 2025 by Keith McKinley

Prologis, a leading owner and developer of UK logistics real estate, has further strengthened its portfolio in London and the South East, with the acquisition of two prime urban logistics estates in Park Royal and Watford (pictured) . This transaction continues the company’s strategic focus on Greater London, following recent acquisitions in Croydon and Erith in July.

Comprising more than 360,000 sq. ft. of prime last-mile logistics space, on a total of 17 acres, both estates offer a range of Grade A units and are 100% leased to customers operating in diverse industry sectors including distribution, construction, pharmaceutical and film and television.

Located in two densely populated urban markets, Prologis Central Park (Park Royal) and Prologis Imperial Park (Watford) are strong additions to the UK portfolio, with both benefiting from excellent connectivity to London and beyond. Situated at the heart of Park Royal, the capital’s premier industrial and logistics estate, Central Park was built in 2014 to BREEAM ‘Excellent’ specification. Imperial Park was built in phases from 2000 and is well located less than 5 minutes from Junction 5, M1 in Watford, north west London’s principal commercial district.

The purchase of both assets complements Prologis UK’s existing portfolio – expanding holdings at Park Royal and, in the case of Watford, increasing the company’s presence along the southern M1-London corridor. The Watford site in particular adds to a number of successful projects in Hemel Hempstead.

Paul Weston, Regional Head of Prologis UK: “The purchase of these prime urban logistics estates illustrates our confidence in and appetite to grow our last mile offering servicing London and the South East. We look forward to working with new customers across the two parks, all of whom are welcome additions to our business.”

The assets were acquired from Schroders Capital who were advised by Gerald Eve.

Prologis Adds 4 Properties to Dutch Portfolio

Posted on 24 June, 202231 July, 2025 by David Priestman

Prologis, Inc., the global leader in logistics real estate, announced today it has acquired four new distribution centres in the Netherlands from KKR, a leading global investment firm, and Mirastar, a leading pan-European developer, investor, and property manager. The properties are located in the prime logistics locations Bleiswijk, Roosendaal and Hoofddorp (Schiphol), in the Netherlands and cover a total of 127,000 square meters of rentable floor area. Built with a strong environmental focus, these modern facilities are accredited BREEAM Excellent and Very Good, featuring LED lighting, solar panels, and EV charging points.

Sander Breugelmans, Senior Vice President Prologis: “These acquisitions highlight our focus on creating logistics hubs in the core European markets that our customers need to be in. We are excited to add these four buildings to our portfolio and continue to serve our customer growth needs with strategically located and highly sustainable properties in the Netherlands.”

Bleiswijk DC3
Built in 2021, this facility covers 48,498 square meters, is already 100% occupied and rated BREEAM Very Good. This acquisition further expands Prologis’ presence in the Rotterdam market and underscores the company’s ability to continue to offer new logistics solutions in core locations across Europe.

Roosendaal DC2 and DC3
Prologis adds these two newly built (2021) properties to its portfolio in the extended gateway market of Roosendaal, in the south of the Netherlands, which links inland Europe to the coast. Fully leased, Roosendaal DC2 (33,317 square meters) and DC3 (10,168 square meters) are certified BREEAM Excellent and significantly expand Prologis’ presence in the heart of one of Europe’s busiest logistics corridors.

Schiphol DC5, Amsterdam
The Amsterdam portfolio will be complemented with the recently built (2022) Schiphol DC5 facility, which is certified BREEAM Excellent. With its location next to Schiphol airport, an international hub for logistics and distribution, the 34,509 square metre warehouse is already leased for 50%.

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