Hermes has opened an 80,000 sq ft distribution depot at Prologis Park in Hemel Hempstead ahead of the peak season.
The depot, which can process more than 130,000 parcels a day, is located in Hemel Hempstead’s Enviro-tech Enterprise Zone. It has a 40kWp design rating photovoltaic array (PV) on roof, rainwater harvesting system (grey water for toilet flushing), and solar thermal hot water to pre-heat water to save gas.
There is LED lighting throughout the building and 15 per cent roof lights to maximise natural light in the warehouse, with additional polycarbonate panels in the south elevation to provide further light. The depot also features EV charging, with one column to power two vehicles.
“We are extremely proud to officially open our state-of-the-art depot in Hemel Hempstead, which will significantly increase the network capacity in the South East. This project demonstrates our total commitment to environmentally friendly, world-class delivery solutions, not just for today, but for the foreseeable future,” said Hermes chief executive Martijn De Lange.
“Last year we handled 9.7m parcels during our busiest week of the year and we expect that number to grow significantly in 2018,” he added. “Our team of experts spend the entire year planning for peak so retailers can enjoy absolute confidence in our ability to comfortably process increased volumes driven by Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the Christmas period.”
