The terminal that cares for the environment
Geothermal heating is used to heat the premises, and energy-efficient lighting is powered by green electricity. The new terminal in Tampere is helping PostNord become fossil-free.
The third largest city in Finland is set in beautiful surroundings on a narrow strip of land between two in-land lakes: Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi. This is where PostNord has chosen to build a brand new terminal. It’s more than “just” modern, eco-friendly and well-planned – it’s also the first sorting terminal in Finland that PostNord owns by itself.
“We previously ran our operation from the premises of one of our suppliers. The new terminal has given us full control of the entire supply chain,” explains Jaakko Hermikoski, Regional Manager of Operations.
In the long run, the number of employees is set to rise from 15 to around 30. One of the benefits of the new facility is faster and better machine sorting.
“We can now handle up to 5,000 parcels an hour. The machine reads, weighs and sorts the parcels and guides them in the right direction, sending them on their way to be transported and delivered to the right address,” says Jaakko.
All in all, the terminal has contributed to a more efficient operation, with a reduced number of handling stations.
“The work runs faster and more smoothly, and the sorting machine has helped us cut down on human errors,” relates Marcus Hydén, Regional Manager.
The Tampere terminal is not only fast – it’s really green, too. The building has been awarded the Green Building Council Finland’s BREEAM certificate with the rating “Very good”. This means that the business is helping PostNord achieve its goal of becoming fossil-free by 2030.
“The terminal is heated using geothermal heating, the eco-friendly LED lighting is powered by green electricity and the facility is preparing for charging electric vehicles, keeping future investments in mind,” says Jaakko.
In addition, air curtains are used to ensure that as little heat as possible is lost. Even the terminal doors have been fitted with air curtains to minimize loss of energy during loading.
“We don’t lose any heat at all when the vehicles back into the terminal, which provides a much more pleasant working environment for employees,” adds Marcus.