Prepare for Pineham
It's big, it's bold and it leaves no carbon footprint.
How can we explain the phenomenon of the Generation II ProLogis shed?
The new Sainsbury’s distribution depot at ProLogis Park Pineham, Northampton, can justly claim to be at the cutting edge of sustainable industrial design. Before Practical Completion in October, it earned the first European Property Green Award, the IAS Sustainable Achievement Award, a coveted BREEAM Excellent rating and an even more elusive LEED Gold Award.
But the conundrum surrounding Pineham is the assertion that it leaves no carbon footprint at all. How can a 618,500 sq ft shed complex – which clearly required an immense investment in terms of design, construction and delivery – carry a Zero Carbon price tag?
“Like Sainsbury’s, ProLogis has made a corporate commitment to be the global leader in sustainable warehouse design,” says Ken Hall, ProLogis MD of Global Construction. “Our belief is that climate change will only be addressed if we take responsible steps to reduce the CO2 emissions arising from all our activities.
“Avoidance of all CO2 emissions is impossible and this is the reason we seek to reduce – and in some cases eliminate – our environmental impact by investing in carbon offsetting. This is a way of compensating for the emissions produced with an equivalent carbon dioxide saving.”
Its many advanced features take the construction and use of the modern distribution warehouse to new levels. The heated structure is designed to use 25% of the energy of a typical UK distribution shed and emit 50% fewer carbon emissions than a Part L 2006 compliant warehouse. There is no doubt that this is an exemplary building. |
Positive Effect
All suppliers to the Pineham scheme have signed up to a carbon credit system, valued at 110% of the construction process. These credits fund green initiatives around the world to reduce carbon generation. So can “offsetting” of this kind play an important role in the wider sustainable agenda?
Offsetting belongs to the lexicon of green buzzwords which attract as much cynicism as confusion. There’s a sense that big business can atone for the sins of pollution by paying the levy and saying a few Hail Marys. But ProLogis’ approach is not merely guilt-avoidance.
“The process of carbon offsetting involves two steps,” says Ken Hall. “Firstly, we undertake a detailed cradle-to-grave assessment to establish the environmental impact of all elements of our buildings, process and management activities.” During the construction of the Sainsbury’s buildings, for instance, a tally was made of every road journey to site and the carbon implications added to the total carbon bill.
“The second step,” says Ken, “involves buying carbon offset credits from emission reduction projects. Such projects will already have prevented or removed an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide elsewhere.
“As CO2 emissions are distributed across the world, it does not matter whether ProLogis makes the reduction in Denver or Delhi – the positive effect on the environment will be the same.”
No easy route to heaven
Ken Hall believes the route to green heaven requires ongoing self-assessment and an advancing programme of energy saving measures. A simple reliance on offsetting doesn’t make business sense:
“Can developers continue building in their old ways and then buy their way to environmental redemption by simply using the carbon offset programme? The answer is no. In this scenario, the cost of the offsets would be prohibitive and result in our facilities becoming totally uncompetitive.
“The only way to achieve an effective economic sustainable solution is to seek reduction of our carbon footprint for all elements, at all levels and at all stages in the production of materials and services. Only when the footprint reduction programme has been demonstrated, can the purchase of offsets be considered.”
ProLogis understands that the construction industry is at the heart of the sustainability debate and that genuine carbon reduction is essential for the longevity of its business. It also wants to use all the means at its disposal to mitigate carbon-generating activities. The result is a powerful cocktail of influence: we research, innovate and buy in the latest green technologies; we work closely with – and put pressure on – our supply chain to reduce its own carbon footprint; and we invest in genuine carbon-reduction projects worldwide.
The making of ProLogis Park Pineham
ProLogis Park Pineham spans 112 acres and will eventually provide up to 1.6 million sq ft of distribution/industrial warehousing, together with 300,000 sq ft of offices and a district centre with retail outlets. It will create many hundreds of jobs in an area in need of regeneration and investment.
A £35 million infrastructure programme included new access roads and five roundabouts. It meant connecting the site to the A43 and Junction 15A of the M1, building two bridges over water courses and a third over the Grand Union Canal, constructing a new primary 33kV electricity substation and providing all services, drainage and extensive groundworks.
As part of its role as a responsible developer, ProLogis investigates the archaeology of every historic site and ensures the conservation of any finds. At Pineham, a Geoscan and extensive archaeological dig is ongoing and has already unearthed some Roman relics of national importance. These are now being analysed by Northamptonshire Archaeology before going on public display.
State of the art
A raft of sustainable design features at Pineham sets it way ahead of the competition before any offsetting is considered. The palette of carbon-savers includes:
• Combined heat and power plant, with surplus heat driving
refrigeration plant
• Onsite Resource Recycling Unit (RRU)
• 15% roof lights
• Intelligent, low-energy lighting systems
• Innovative wall-mounted PhotoVoltaic panels
• Solar walls
• Energy-efficient light systems
• Extremely airtight construction
Thanks to Pineham’s exceptional design, Sainsbury’s can expect its new warehouse to operate up to 75% more efficiently than the standard distribution shed. In addition, the installation of a rainwater harvesting system will save 16 million litres of water a year, to be used in a variety of Sainsbury’s processes. Landscape is also part of the equation: the creation of an ecological corridor will enable plants and animals to flourish on site.
The new DC is an important link in the reconfiguration of Sainsbury’s supply chain, increasing both capacity (the site will carry 1.5 million cases a week) and operating efficiency. This regional distribution centre will serve 50 Sainsbury’s stores in central Britain. Its East Midlands location – next to junction 15A of the M1 – will provide easy access to the motorway network and East Coast ports.
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European Property Awards - October 2007 |
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IAS Awards - October 2007 |
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