Two mega-distribution centres are rising in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan, which will be among the largest and most energy-efficient buildings in the world. Pension investor PGGM is putting €150 million into the development of the DCs.
So writes the Financial Investigator. PGGM is investing jointly with Japanese real estate developer Shang Redwood (ESR) in the two buildings, which will be 20 to 40 times the size of most distribution centres in the Netherlands. The 'Amagasaki' building will cover an area of 390,000 square metres in Osaka, while 'Baraki-3' in Tokyo will be 225,000 square metres.
CO2 footprint
In metropolitan areas in Japan, logistics centres and available building land are in short supply. To still achieve sufficient scale, the buildings will be multi-storeyed. By using thousands of solar panels on the roofs, the distribution centres' CO2 footprint will be eighty percent lower than average. The solar panels on the roofs will also result in shadowing, reducing energy costs in both complexes by another twenty per cent.
The projects are being developed using materials that are largely recycled, for example the concrete and asphalt. The buildings will be located close to end consumers and workers, reducing transport kilometres and CO2 emissions. In addition, rainwater will be collected and reused at the buildings.
Scarcity of logistics real estate
PGGM sees Japan as an attractive market for players in logistics real estate. The country currently has few modern and earthquake-resistant distribution centres. Moreover, the e-commerce market is developing rapidly there. "Rapid urbanisation is leading to strong consumption growth there and is forcing logistics innovation. The growth in e-commerce also plays an important role in the demand for distribution centres. This offers us attractive and long-term investment opportunities," said Guido Verhoef, head of Private Real Estate at PGGM.
Editorial LogistiekProfs
