DHL Express goes solar

International courier DHL has announced that it is to install solar cells in its Polish distribution centres. By the end of the year, solar panels will have been installed in Koszalin, Łódź and Toruń. The changes are also to be rolled out to its other centres over 2022. Additionally, the company has also announced that as well as retrofitting solar panels to its existing facilities, it is to have solar installations in all the new buildings that it commissions and will encourage landlords to adopt sustainable energy policies. DHL Express has stated that 50% of its electricity needs in Łódź and Toruń will be met by solar-generated power, while the power required for its Koszalin centre will be 100% generated from renewable sources. The Toruń and Łódź centres will each have 111 modules installed with a power output of 49.95 kWh, which means the installations can produce enough electricity to power more than ten family homes. Solar panels are not the only sustainable technology the company is investing in as part of its GoGreen policy. DHL is also investing in electric vehicles for its last-mile deliveries as well as in bicycles. For its future deliveries, the company has even pre-ordered twelve Alice cargo planes, which are electric aircraft currently under development by startup Eviation. DHL also plans to increase the number of electric vehicle charging stations across Europe and is investing in alternative aviation fuels. All of these activities are intended to reduce the company’s carbon emissions to zero by 2050.