Carbon-neutral geoenergy at DB Schenker’s logistics terminals
Heating and cooling of DB Schenker’s terminals in Western Finland, Vaasa and Pori, is produced by Adven’s geoenergy service. In both terminals, it creates savings of approximately 10% in annual energy costs when compared to traditional energy solutions. In addition, the solutions are fully carbon-neutral, which means that the heating and cooling will not increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. DB Schenker has been satisfied with the ease and reliability of the energy service implementations.
DB Schenker and Adven started the cooperation in 2016 when the heating and cooling of DB Schenker’s new logistics terminal in Vaasa was agreed to be implemented using geoenergy, i.e. geothermal heating and cooling.
In geoenergy solutions, heat pumps are used to extract the energy stored in the soil for heating and cooling purposes. Approximately 300 metres deep geowells were drilled under the building during the construction phase.
The electricity required by the heat pumps is produced with domestic renewable energy. The solution is completely carbon-neutral.
“We want to offer our customers environmentally sound logistics services. Our properties produce only a couple of per cents of our carbon footprint, but we can directly influence them. In Vaasa, we wanted to build a carbon-neutral terminal whose energy production is concentrated on geoenergy and hydropower,” says DB Schenker Oy’s Real Estate Director Marko Liimatainen.
Adven is responsible for the operations and profitability of energy centres
The geoenergy project in Vaasa progressed smoothly, so it was easy to continue the cooperation when DB Schenker started to build a new terminal in Pori. The heating of the terminal in Pori, which was commissioned in 2018, is also implemented with geoenergy using Adven’s Energy as a Service model.
The energy solutions of both terminals are Adven’s own investments. In practice, Adven has built the solutions, including the geowells and energy centres, in the terminals and signed an energy supply agreement with DB Schenker. Adven is also responsible for the profitability of energy production.
“Adven’s way to operate convinced us. They are top experts in the industry, and they make sure that the plant is used efficiently. They were also able to clearly demonstrate by calculations how much we can save money compared to traditional energy solutions. In addition, the geoenergy implementation project is effortless and reliable for the customer,” says Liimatainen.
“It is essential to measure the energy consumption of the property correctly. This will ensure cost benefits. Since this is our investment, it is reflected on our balance sheet, not on DB Schenker’s balance sheet,” says Timo Koljonen, VP, Geoenergy at Adven.