Largest solar rooftop facility in Germany located in Bremen
In a 152,000 square meter site near the New Steader Harbor in Bremen, a new 82,000 square meter building has been constructed, marking a significant milestone for the logistics company BLG and Mercedes-Benz. Dubbed C3, the facility combines the themes of customer service, climate protection, and employee comfort, positioning itself as a leading example for sustainable business practices.
At the opening ceremony, attended by BLG's CEO Frank Dreeke, Bremen's Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte, Climate Protection Senator Maike Schaefer, and Federal Minister for the Environment Robert Habeck, the facility was highlighted as a key player in the global logistics activities for Mercedes-Benz's CKD production network in Germany.
Customer Centric
The new facility serves as a hub for preparing vehicle parts intended for worldwide shipping via Germany's major seaports. This streamlined global logistics approach is designed to benefit BLG's long-standing customer, Mercedes-Benz. The building houses 23 narrow-aisle racks, and its overall concept offers several advantages for the automaker.
Climate-Neutral Building
Project manager Matthias Klawitter emphasized that the entire property was designed with a comprehensive energy concept for heating, hot water, and ventilation, extensive building insulation, intelligent lighting control, and self-generated energy capacity. Notably, the property will feature the currently largest rooftop photovoltaic system on an industrial property in Germany, with around 23,000 solar panels generating approximately 8.4 million kilowatt hours of solar power annually. Moreover, a heat pump and energy-efficient lighting modules activated via motion sensors are planned.
Employee-Focused Facility
The around 500 employees will also benefit from the facility, with natural light in the large hall, a dune landscape for outdoor breaks, green meadows, fruit trees, and a large employee bistro designed with plenty of greenery and moss. The location also offers short and multi-modal transport routes due to its direct connection to road, rail, and water via the adjacent New Steader Harbor.
Future-Oriented Logistics
Jörg Burzer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Production and Supply Chain Management, noted that optimizing processes to avoid and reduce CO2 emissions is a crucial focus for the automaker on the path to achieving carbon neutrality. With the opening of the C3 Bremen, the companies aim to send a strong signal of innovation for sustainable transport logistics. The center features self-driving robots and automatic pallet setting stations, making it a step into the future of logistics.
Frank Dreeke, CEO of BLG, stated that the C3 Bremen is a necessary step to remain competitive in the market, and Dreeke is convinced it serves as a blueprint for future logistics properties. Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister of Economics and Climate Protection Robert Habeck emphasized that large-scale projects like the C3 are essential for achieving climate goals and leading Germany to greenhouse gas neutrality.
- The new C3 facility, a model for sustainable business practices, is not only a key player in global logistics activities for Mercedes-Benz's CKD production network in Germany, but also a significant stride in the industry, demonstrating a commitment to environmental-science through the construction of a climate-neutral building.
- The climate-neutral building showcases a comprehensive energy concept, featuring extensive building insulation, intelligent lighting control, self-generated energy capacity, and the largest rooftop photovoltaic system on an industrial property in Germany, with around 23,000 solar panels generating approximately 8.4 million kilowatt hours of solar power annually.
- The employee-focused facility, designed with customer comfort in mind, offers several advantages for Mercedes-Benz. Along with the streamlined logistics approach, the facility provides a pleasant working environment for its around 500 employees, featuring natural light, an outdoor dune landscape, green meadows, fruit trees, and a large employee bistro, while also prioritizing technological innovation with self-driving robots and automatic pallet setting stations, positioning the C3 Bremen as a future-oriented logistics hub in the realm of science and technology.
