Panattoni Europe, a leading project developer of industrial and logistics real estate, has been awarded a contract by the Volkswagen Group to build a new multi-brand packaging centre for the export of automotive parts. The choice was made for the JadeWeserPort, Wilhelmshaven. Germany’s only deep-water port provides direct links to the mainline rail network and the A 29 motorway.
On a site of approx. 100,000 sqm Panattoni will build the new packaging centre from where automotive parts of the brands Audi, Volkswagen and Volkswagen commercial vehicles will be shipped to the Group’s production facilities overseas, including plants in Mexico, USA and China. The logistics centre will comprise five halls with a total usable area of 45,000 sqm and will be constructed in compliance with the DGNB Gold Standard [DGNB: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen – DGNB e.V., (German Sustainable Building Council)].
The project developer’s concept design will fulfil the specific requirements of the group’s logistics. The halls will have a flexible layout for loading and unloading, storage and order picking of the automotive parts and components such as headlamps, steering wheels or audio systems. The halls are also suitable for the handling of dangerous goods.
Around 7,000 different vehicle parts and components will be delivered to Wilhelmshaven. About 12,000 containers (40ft-high cube) per year will be shipped through the new packing centre in the JadeWeserPort.
Announcing the project, Thomas Zernechel, head of Volkswagen’s Group Logistics, explained, “The decision in favour of the location in Wilhelmshaven as the only deep-water port in Germany is strategically important for the Volkswagen Group. We found Panattoni Europe’s concept for the packaging centre very convincing.”
The assignment of the contract has been done through the brand Audi. Fred-Markus Bohne, Managing Partner of Panattoni Europe, commented, “We are delighted with this decision by Audi. This is a further important milestone for the port, and for Panattoni it is confirmation of our competence in the automotive sector.”
Regarding the construction of the multi-brand packaging centre, Panattoni intends to continue its successful cooperation with Goldbeck International GmbH of Bielefeld who will act as general contractor. Earthworks will begin in June 2018, and completion of the new centre is scheduled for the first quarter of 2019.
