The construction of DHL’s parcel terminal, located airside at Kastrup Airport, began with driving 3,000 piles into the ground, creating a stable foundation for the 26,000 sqm building with an accompanying parking deck of 7,500 sqm. DHL’s building is far from an ordinary, square-shaped logistics structure. Here, three different roof heights have been managed. Additionally, one of the building’s corners is rounded, requiring specially ordered curved sandwich panels. The building also houses a shelter, which has imposed specific requirements on that space.
Inside the parcel terminal, there is an automation system that handles a large number of packages every day. The building also contains three separate office sections and a workshop with vehicle washing facilities.
Resources such as sun, rain, and groundwater create conditions for energy-efficient operation. On the roof, 1,900 sqm of solar panels have been installed with a capacity of up to 280 MWh of electricity each year. Surplus production is fed into the public grid. Rainwater is collected from the roof and directed to a large tank where it is purified before being used for toilet flushing and the facility’s vehicle wash. During periods of less rainfall, there is an option to replenish the system from the municipal water network.
Groundwater helps both heat and cool the property through a so-called aquifer storage system. During the construction work, holes were drilled in the ground where groundwater is pumped up. During the colder part of the year, the water is used for heat production through a heat pump system, complemented by district heating when the temperature drops too low. In the summer, groundwater contributes to the building’s comfort cooling. The groundwater circulates in a closed system and is pumped back into the ground after use.