The hub, which opened in 2004, has direct airside and landside access and is the only purpose-built express cargo facility at the airport.
Warehouse space has been increased 50% to 49,500 square metres and an automated material handling system has increased handling capacity by 70% to 125,000 shipments per hour.
The annual total tonnage management is expected to increase by 50% to over 1 million tons per annum, six times the volume of when the hub opened in 2004.
It is the first express cargo facility in Hong Kong to deploy CT X-ray scan technology, doubling inspection speeds to detect suspicious goods promptly and accurately.
Since it opened, DHL Express has invested €562 million in the Central Asia Hub.
John Pearson, CEO of DHL Express, says, “CAH is important to our customers in Asia and globally, as it handles close to 20% of DHL Express global shipment volume. While global trade is normalising following a pandemic boom, our investments today will improve our global and regional network, putting us in an excellent place when global trade recovers.”
DHL Express expanded the facility to complement the launch of Hong Kong International Airport’s three-runway system, which is scheduled to be completed next year.
To make the building more efficient and sustainable, 3,450 solar panels have been installed on the roof of the hub, generating 1.68 GWh, equivalent to reducing 850 tons of carbon emissions per annum.
The Central Asia Hub is the first facility in DHL’s Asia Pacific region to deploy battery storage and is the airport’s first business partner to implement battery storage on-site.
The system stores excess solar power and releases it as needed, maximising renewable energy utilisation and saving 125,000 kWh of electricity annually.
Other environmentally friendly measures include electric forklifts, LED lights and high-efficiency air-cooled chillers.