FedEx Express has started work on a new solar-powered hub at Cologne/Bonn airport, the first and largest of its kind for the company outside the US.
The 50,000 sq m hub will have new ramp, freight and sort facilities with a fully automated sort system, along with a 1.4 megawatt solar power system.
The solar panels will be fitted to the roof of the ramp and sort facilities, covering a surface area of 16,000 sq m, and have the ability to generate around 1.3 gigawatt hours of electricity per year – equivalent to the annual consumption of 370 households.
FedEx has said the Rhine/Main region, including Frankfurt airport, remains an important market for the company and as such it will continue to offer its entire service portfolio from Frankfurt.
The central and eastern European gateway is due for completion in 2010 and is likely to employ some 450 people.
