NORDWEST presses ahead with construction of new central warehouse in Alsfeld

Dear Readers,

NORDWEST Handel AG has taken a decisive step forward in the planned construction of its own new central warehouse in Alsfeld, Hesse. With a large majority, the city council of Alsfeld has finally passed the resolution to set up the industrial estate. This means that the amendment of the land use plan and the development plan for the area have been decided, so that the building application could now be submitted - an important and long-planned milestone. Since 2020, NORDWEST had been waiting in the wings to be able to go into implementation.

"It is no secret that we would have liked to have put the plans for the new mega warehouse into action earlier. Nevertheless, it is in NORDWEST's interest that the public participation procedure was carried out correctly and that all comments were evaluated to ensure planning security. Now all the course has finally been set," says NORDWEST board member J?rg Simon.

The planning on the part of the Dortmund-based interconnected company has long since been completed, the necessary land has been purchased and the project partners have been selected. NORDWEST can therefore quickly take the next steps. It is expected to take two to three months for approval of the early earthworks. The current schedule is that these will then begin in the first quarter of 2024 and the first goods can be shipped from the new mega warehouse in Alsfeld from Q3/2025.

"Until the move, however, we will of course continue to optimise the processes at the site of the current central warehouse in Gie?en in order to master the transition until completion in Alsfeld with the usual quality and performance," promises Bastian Wolfgarten, Division Manager Logistics at NORDWEST.

Key facts about the new NORDWEST mega warehouse in Alsfeld:

- 68,000 m2 of warehouse space - 45 truck ramps - automatic small parts warehouse with a good 170,000 storage spaces - manual pallet warehouse with approx. 50,000 pallet spaces - driverless transport systems - automatic carton erectors - state-of-the-art IT systems for controlling the warehouse and the automation technology.

Sustainability as an important criterion

"In cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute, a state-of-the-art new central warehouse has been designed to be able to accommodate the forecast growth rates in the long term," says Bastian Wolfgarten. Components of the comprehensively sustainable development concept include a photovoltaic system for the company's own power supply, solar thermal energy, heat pumps, no gas connection, the use of intelligent conveyor technology to reduce energy requirements, intelligent LED lighting, rainwater utilisation, flowering strips, insect hotels, e-charging columns for cars and e-bikes, a rainwater retention concept and green roofs.