TRANSPORT & WAREHOUSING\\\


Dutch Warehousing on Steroids


By Karen E. Thuermer


If one is looking for an example of futuristic logistics and warehousing space, the “The Tube” in the Netherlands is your answer.


“The Tube” is


distinguished by its elliptical shape and overall presence of glass, which allows as much daylight as possible to enter the building. It opened in November 2019. Owned and operated by


German 3PL Rhenus, “The Tube” (or ‘Rhenus A58’)


square feet in size and located in the Dutch city of Tilburg.


is 650,000 Its the


combination of shape, light and natural color of materials evoke the image of a high-tech object and, no doubt, turns heads on the A58 highway. Rhenus officials are finding design


is attractive to workers, a plus in today’s


Rhenus Logistics has employed an AutoStore storage and picking system at its Rhenus A58 facility in Tilburg, The Netherlands, as a means for superior accuracy. (Rhenus Logistics photo.)


Rhenus Logistics looks to the future with this sustainable “tube” distribution warehouse in Tilburg, The Netherlands. (Rhenus photo)


tight labor market and competitive business climate. Its environment is calming, and its materials are impressive to sustainability-conscious clients – especially for a distribution warehouse. “Most are US life science


companies that expect Rhenus to take a sustainable lead in warehouse development,” said Alphons van Erven, Rhenus senior vice president. The DC is considered the


world’s most sustainable warehouse in Europe and the second most sustainable building in the world. The reason: the building has an airtight outer shell, uses solar-powered energy, and is designed using multiple


sustainable elements: automatic dimming lights, heat pumps, rainwater flushing toilets, and e-boilers that give it a 99.48% Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) score. That’s a record for an industrial building. The large awning created by the shape of the building on the south side acts as a sunblind for the office and the VAS floors behind it ensuring a pleasant work environment. Most notably, 200,000 square


feet of 13,640 solar panels have been installed to provide 4.2 MWatt of power, although van Erven reports that the building currently consumes less than 1 MWatt per year, making it an


Issue 9 2019 - FBJNA


energy producer. “Our natural lighting in


the warehouse saves 70% in electricity and improves working conditions,” van Erven states. The building is further


characterized by its flexibility, compartmentation, high floor loading, and 45 dock doors. It


utilizes a state-of-the-art


storage and picking system called AutoStore, known for its accuracy based on product types and customer needs -- in this case heart values manufactured by Edwards Lifesciences. The AutoStore system,


which has a surface area of approximately 10, 800 square feet and is equipped with 21,000 containers; 19 robots; two infeed


23


and three order picking ports assists, in further improving the accuracy of its ordering picking and in fulfilling the customers’ growth needs through optimization of continuity and quality. It also allows Rhenus Contract Logistics to serve more customers. Given the success of Rhenus


A59, van Erven reveals the company plans


to continue


these efficient and sustainable concepts at its operation in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, where an expansion is expected in the next three years. He said that Rhenus may even bring the model to the United States where Rhenus wants to expand in the next five to 10 years.


“The Tube” is the world’s most sustainable warehouse in Europe and the second most sustainable building in the world. (Rhenus photo)


Safeway Trucking Corporation offers a full-suite of nationwide, SQF-certified temperature-controlled TL and LTL transportation services.


908.351.2800 x 2374 | sales@eastcoastwarehouse.com | eastcoastwarehouse.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32