Parcel giant DPD has opened a new eco-sortation centre that enables cleaner, all-electric deliveries in London.

The giant new site is entirely diesel-free, using a fleet of 500 electric delivery vans while all its HGVs are powered by HVO

Based in Bromley-By-Bow in the docklands, the giant new site is entirely diesel-free, using a fleet of 500 electric delivery vans while all its HGVs are powered by HVO.

The new facility, which is the size of 8.5 football pitches, will create 650 new jobs when fully operational early in the new year and will mean that DPD’s delivery service within London’s north and south circular area will be all-electric.

The site is a hybrid eco-sortation and distribution facility. In addition to the parcel delivery operation, which will be DPD’s greenest in the UK, the 430-metre-long conveyor system will automatically sort all intra-London parcels for next-day delivery on-site, instead of them being trunked to the Midlands and back for sorting, as currently.

The site features solar panels on the parking canopy to help charge the 500 EVs and a 40,000-litre HVO tank to enable the fleet of LGVs and 7.5-tonne trucks to fill up with the renewable biofuel. The site will also get solar panels on the main roof in the new year, which could generate up to 1 million kwh per annum to help power the entire building.

The opening of the site cements DPD’s pledge to deliver to 30 of the largest towns and cities in the UK with zero- and low-emission final-mile delivery vehicles.

Elaine Kerr, DPD UK CEO, commented: “This represents a major milestone in our green journey. We opened the UK’s first all-electric parcel delivery depot in Westminster almost exactly five years ago. Now Docklands demonstrates what is possible, on a much bigger scale. But this is far from the end.  We are constantly looking for new and smarter solutions, as we demonstrated earlier this year with the roll-out of autonomous robot deliveries, and we will continue investing in green innovation to accelerate our decarbonisation pathway.”

The new site was officially opened by Transport Secretary Mark Harper, who said: “I was delighted to attend the opening of DPD’s new London hub, which will speed up delivery times, create new jobs and support an important industry that contributes billions to our economy.”