By Larry Claasen
Logistics company Rhenus Group's move to a R440 million state-of-the-art facility in Johannesburg will make it independent of the municipal water supply.
The new 28,000 m² facility in Meadowview, Johannesburg, is not only designed to meet the German company's environmental goals, but also to operate independently of the city's water supply.
This means the facility's water management systems support sustainable operations and include a borehole, a 120,000 liter rainwater harvesting system and a 40,000 liter firefighting reservoir. An additional 1.1 million liter rainwater tank contributes to the facility's environmentally friendly properties.
According to Rhenus, the plant's water independence is a response to the water crisis in South Africa.
“We had to take innovative measures to reduce our dependence on municipal water supplies. It is important for us to operate efficiently and ensure operational continuity, hence the decision to invest in alternative water sources,” said the response to questions from CBN.
The move towards independent water supply comes amid growing concerns about whether the City of Johannesburg will be able to keep the taps running.
A lack of maintenance and investment in the city's water supply and infrastructure has led to fears that the city would one day reach “Day Zero,” where it will one day no longer be able to provide water to residents and businesses.
Apart from being water independent, the new plant is also sustainable in terms of its own electricity production. It features a 500 kW PV system with 1,600 solar panels, an 800 watt lithium-ion battery system and a 500 kW diesel generator, ensuring energy efficiency and reliable backup power for up to eight hours. LED lighting and motion sensors throughout the facility contribute to further energy savings.
The facility is also intended to promote the growth of Rhenus.
“Our previous facility in Long Meadow had a high warehouse utilization and we were spread across three separate buildings, which limited future expansion. The decision to consolidate our Johannesburg operations under one roof has already resulted in greater operational efficiency, streamlining workflows and improving our scalability as we continue to grow in the region,” says Cornell van Rooyen, CEO of Rhenus Warehousing Solutions MEA.
The facility is close to OR Tambo International Airport and the City Deep Container Terminal, but remains within reach of current customers and does not impact employee travel.
By consolidating operational processes under one roof, Rhenus expects a significant increase in efficiency with optimized use of resources. Capacity has been increased by over 100%. The introduction of advanced technology and improved equipment will further streamline operations and reduce processing times.
Dirk Goedhart, managing director of Rhenus Air & Ocean South Africa, says the integrated facility increases productivity and enables a seamless flow of cargo between the different business areas of the Rhenus Group.
“We have adapted the entire system precisely to our needs, which in turn enables us to deliver tailor-made solutions that meet the specific needs of our customers.”
Safety is the top priority. More than 600 CCTV cameras, robust access control systems, a 2.4m high electric fence with unobstructed visibility, 5m high perimeter walls and a special security tower that monitors the facility 24 hours a day make the camp one of the safest in South Africa.
Other key features of the warehouse include a 1,300 m² refrigerated area with a -20°C zone and 100 freezer units on ground floor shelves. This unique feature, not commonly found worldwide, is another first in the South African storage space. The warehouse, with a total industry-standard capacity of 25,000 pallets, is also the only one in the country that fully supports the storage of lithium-ion batteries. It has 1,600 battery-compatible pallet spaces.
Additionally, the warehouse is designed to store high-value cargo and features a 250 m² secure vault.