ASX-listed air and sea freight firm Mainfreight has inked an initial 15 year term lease for a 5 Star Green Star cross-dock warehouse that will feature solar arrays and rainwater harvesting.
But the building’s green credentials aren’t the only reason why the supply chain firm’s sustainability credentials could soon gain the momentum of a speeding locomotive.
Mainfreight’s new 55,800 square metre building was designed to achieve a minimum of a 5 Star Green Star Design and As Built rating.
The warehouse, which recently went into construction with a completion date scheduled for the second quarter of 2023, is powered by a 4530 kilowatt peak (kWp) solar system that will generate an estimated six million kilowatt hours of electricity each year.
It also includes a rainwater harvesting system that will treat water to drinkable standards, along with recycling and waste management systems.
The facility will be located in the southeast corner of LOGOS Property’s 243 hectare Moorebank Logistics Park, which is located near Liverpool in Sydney’s outer southwestern suburbs.
But what really sets the Moorebank Logistics Park apart is the industrial park features a rail terminal that connects it directly to the Southern Sydney freight line, giving it access to both the inland and Sydney freight rail networks.
The industrial park is also directly connected by rail to Port Botany through a direct import export (IMEX) rail shuttle, giving tenants a cleaner alternative to using diesel trucks to transport their containers to the site.
The potential to shift freight to rail is important because, according to CSIRO research, just under one-fifth (17.6 per cent) of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions come from burning fossil fuels for transport – including from trucks.
The estimated health costs from deaths in Australia caused by diesel emissions from motor vehicles is around $166 per kilogram.
LOGOS and its partners (AustralianSuper, AXA IM Alts, Ivanhoé Cambridge and TCorp) purchased the Moorebank Logistics Park (MLP) site from Qube for $1.67 billion in December 2021.
The Mainfreight facility is the first new tenant since the acquisition, joining the likes of Woolworths, Qube Logistics, and Caesarstone at the estate.
LOGOS’ head of Australia and New Zealand, Darren Searle, said the facility will provide Mainfreight with connectivity to key freight corridors and import-export trade routes, which support its global network of supply chain logistics solutions.
“We have the unique opportunity at MLP to significantly reduce freight vehicle movements across Sydney and the broader interstate road network by reducing the number of trucks on the roads and increasing reliance on sea freight.
“Once MLP is fully developed, this will translate to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by up to 110,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year – the equivalent of taking more than 25,000 cars off the roads every year.”
Mainfreight property manager Martin Wierzbicki said: “The connectivity, efficiency and intermodal capability provided by MLP is unmatched and we look forward to benefiting from the significant cost-advantages associated with improvements to supply chain predictability and rail-to-port connectivity.”
Ah Mainfreight – always leading the way – by a country mile. Just as their shares do,