Allianz and DHL Collaborate on Cutting-Edge, Sustainable, Pan-European Logistics Development Pipeline
Allianz Real Estate, on behalf of several Allianz Group companies, has entered into a forward transaction with German logistics leader DHL to buy a portfolio of five Grade A logistics facilities in three European countries.
The portfolio, which is expected to be completed between Q1 2023 and Q1 2024, marks one of Allianz Real Estate's largest single logistics sector acquisitions in terms of gross leasable area to date: the five facilities will encompass over 200,000 sqm in total.
DHL, which is in charge of asset development and delivery, will occupy at least 85% of the facilities on long-term leases after completion. The sites are in the Netherlands, Poland, and Finland. They are in four important European logistics sub-markets, including Eindhoven and Warsaw/Gorzow. The Helsinki and Warsaw/Gorzow facilities are Allianz Real Estate's first logistics assets in Finland and Poland, respectively.
The new facilities will be built to meet modern technical standards and will be based on the DHL Campus idea. They will serve as mission-critical hubs for DHL and its customers in the United States and around the world.
Each facility is built to fulfil the most stringent sustainability criteria, including BREEAM Excellent and EPC A ratings, as well as EU Taxonomy compliance. They will be assessed by the Carbon Risk Real Estate Monitor (CRREM) to assure compliance with rigorous decarbonisation and energy efficiency pathways, as well as Allianz Real Estate's own net-zero programme.
In addition to the five facilities under construction, the relationship with DHL includes the potential for Allianz Real Estate to acquire additional facilities in Europe in the future.
Because of its strong market fundamentals, particularly e-commerce growth and supply chain re-configuration, the logistics sector remains a key priority for Allianz Real Estate. The company now manages EUR 14.2 billion worth of logistics assets around the world, of which EUR 7.2 billion are in Europe.
The forward purchase of Multi Business Hub Mittelrhein, a prime logistics centre in Polch, Germany, in 2022; continued investments with long-term partner VGP; the acquisition of a three-asset, Grade A portfolio in the Nordics; and a seven-year refinancing facility to Intospace for six assets in the Netherlands are among the transactions in 2022.
Kari Pitkin, Head of Business Development Europe, Allianz Real Estate, said: “This high-profile transaction with a new prime partner in DHL further underscores the value Allianz Real Estate places on high-quality logistics assets in core markets in both established and fast-growing sub-markets. 2022 has proven to provide opportunity in the sector, and we expect to further expand our European portfolio as we look ahead.”
Joe Mikes, Global Head of Real Estate Solutions at DHL Supply Chain, said: “We are very proud to be able to offer our clients effective growth opportunities, with warehouses that are not only located in core markets and fulfil our clients’ needs but also meet the highest ESG and sustainability criteria. This enables us and our customers to create business opportunities that are compatible with our Sustainability Roadmap, which aims to make every aspect of the supply chain more sustainable, which of course also includes our real estate. We are very much looking forward to many more such projects in the future.”
Source: Allianz
