By Larry Claasen
LOGISTICS firm Rhenus Group’s move to a R440-milion state-of-the-art facility in Johannesburg will see it become independent from municipal water.
Its new 28 000m2 facility in Meadowview, Johannesburg is not only designed to fit the German company’s environmental goals, but also operate independently from the city’s water supply.
This means the facility’s water management systems support sustainable operations and include a borehole, a 120 000ℓ rainwater harvesting setup and a 40,000ℓ fire sprinkler reservoir. An additional 1,1ℓ-million stormwater tank adds to the facility’s eco-friendly features.
Rhenus says the facility’s water independence is a response to the Water Crisis in South Africa.
“We needed to adopt innovative measures to reduce our reliance on municipal water supplies. It’s important for us to work efficiently and ensure operational continuity, hence the decision to invest in alternative water sources,” it said in response to questions sent to it from CBN.
The move to have an independent water supply comes as there is growing concern on whether the City of Johannesburg will be able to keep the taps flowing.
A lack of maintenance and investment in the city’s water and infrastructure has led to fears that it would one day reach “Day Zero,” where it will one day not be able to supply residents and businesses with water.
Aside from water independence, the new facility is also sustainable when it comes to producing its own power. It features a 500kW PV system with 1 600 solar panels, an 800Watt lithium-ion battery plant and a 500kW diesel generator, ensuring energy efficiency and reliable backup for up to eight hours. LED lighting and motion sensors throughout the facility contribute to further energy savings.
The facility is also designed to facilitate Rhenus’s growth.
“Our former facility in Long Meadow had high warehouse utilisation, and we operated across three separate buildings limiting future expansion. The decision to consolidate our operations in Johannesburg under one roof has already introduced greater operational efficiency streamlining workflows and enhancing our ability to scale as we continue to grow in the region,” says Cornell van Rooyen, CEO of Rhenus Warehousing Solutions MEA.
The facility is close to the OR Tambo International Airport and City Deep Container Terminal while remaining within range of current customers and not disrupting staff travel.
By consolidating operations under one roof, Rhenus expects to see efficiency improve significantly with optimised resource utilisation. Capacity has been increased by over 100%. The introduction of advanced technology and upgraded equipment will further streamline operations and reduce processing times.
Dirk Goedhart, MD of Rhenus Air & Ocean South Africa, says the integrated facility enhances productivity, allowing seamless cargo flow across the different divisions of the Rhenus Group.
“We have customised the entire facility to meet our exact needs which in turn allows us to deliver tailor-made solutions that meet the specific needs of our customers.”
Security is a top priority. More than 600 CCTV cameras, robust access control systems, a 2,4m clear-view electric fence, 5m perimeter walls and a dedicated security tower monitoring the facility around the clock make the warehouse one of the most secure in South Africa.
Other key features in the warehouse include a 1 300m2 refrigeration area with one section at -20 °C and 100 deep-freeze units situated within the ground-floor racking. This unique feature, not commonly found worldwide, is another first in the South African warehousing space. The warehouse, with a total capacity of 25 000 industrial-standard pallets, is also the only one in the country fully compliant with storing lithium-ion batteries. It has 1 600 battery-compatible pallet positions.
In addition, the warehouse is designed to cater to high-value cargo and has a 250m2 secure vault.
