Post by HardTimeTrucker on Feb 16, 2010 22:24:54 GMT -5
Wal-Mart Building 'Sustainable' Refrigerated DC
Canada site will include tests of hydrogen, solar, wind energy in logistics
Wal-Mart will spend $115 million to build a refrigerated distribution center in Western Canada the retailer says will be outfitted with new energy-saving technology that will put it at the forefront of logistics environmental efforts.
"The cutting-edge center will be an estimated 60 percent more energy-efficient than Wal-Mart's traditional refrigerated distribution centers," the company's Canadian business unit said.
The center will include a test of new hydrogen fuel cell technology that will replace lead acid batteries for handling equipment. The company will also test the use of solar and wind energy to power the center's basic operations.
Wal-Mart announced the plans at its recent Green Business Summit in Vancouver, B.C., where the company said what it called its "first sustainable refrigerated distribution center" would open in Balzac, Alberta, just outside Calgary.
Wal-Mart officials say the 450,000-square-foot facility will be an operating laboratory for energy-efficient logistics.
"We've set the ambitious goal of building the most sustainable distribution center possible, while at the same time delivering a compelling return on investment," said Andy Ellis, senior vice president of supply chain for Wal-Mart Canada. "The center will be a living lab that demonstrates sustainable operations, products and technologies, while showing that environmental sustainability can go hand-in-hand with business sustainability."