DHL eCommerce opens climate-neutral CityHubs for last mile

  • Fossil-free delivery to consumers in Almere and Zoetermeer
  • By the end of 2022, the whole of the Netherlands will be fossil-free on the last mile

DHL has opened climate-neutral CityHubs in Almere and Zoetermeer, from which local delivery is realized fossil-free. They are part of an investment programme of 350 million euros in which 26 of the 140 CityHubs in the network will be given a new and climate-neutral home.  The new CityHubs are built to the highest sustainability standard (BREEAM Outstanding). They no longer have a gas connection, are equipped with solar panels and operate with a fully electric fleet. On a CityHub, an average of 90 trips depart per day, of which 60 during the day and 30 in the evening, with short routes with 100 to 200 delivery addresses. This year DHL will open similar CityHubs in Geleen, Nijmegen, Breda, Amsterdam, Tilburg and Groningen.   

(Text continues below the images.)


Fossil-free delivery in all of the Netherlands
Located on the edge of urban areas, the 140 DHL CityHubs form an intricate rural network. These are supplied by trucks from large sorting centres, which therefore do not have to enter the city. The packages with short routes and small vans or other compact vehicles are then delivered to service points or to people's homes. Before the end of this year, all these vans will run electrically or on HVO-100, making the last mile to consumers completely fossil-free. This already applies to the new CityHubs such as Almere and Zoetermeer. Just like DHL's largest central sorting centre in Zaltbommel, is already CO2-neutral.

Sustainable working relationship
At DHL, sustainability is also reflected in labour relations and conditions. The new CityHubs form a pleasant, light working environment, focused on safety and equipped with modern tools such as a sorting belt. The electric cars are also modern well-equipped vehicles, in which safety for the driver and other road users is central. The delivery drivers are for the most part employed by DHL itself.

Written by

Ewout Blaauw

Director Corporate Communications