Walmart Canada recently unveiled an advanced distribution center in Surrey, British Columbia, built vertically, to optimize land use. The 300,000-sq.-ft., $175 million facility has racking up to 66 feet high and uses about half of the land mass that would be required for a traditional equivalent facility, directly reducing its overall carbon footprint, reports Chain Store Age.
CSA says the center is part of Walmart Canada’s $3.5 billion investment to generate growth and speed up the flow of products through the company’s supply chain across Canada.
The distribution center uses technology that allows it to complete as many as 150,000 order picks per day. It will ship pantry items, fresh and frozen grocery goods to 45 Walmart stores in British Columbia, reducing the company’s long-haul trips from Alberta.
The Surrey center was designed to become a zero-waste facility. It also will serve as a future hub for Walmart’s electric semi-truck fleet. The building incorporates an array of sustainable features, reports CSA, including an HVAC system designed to reclaim heat from the refrigeration system, using it in radiant under floor heating. Large windows promote natural light in the perimeter. Other sustainable features include:
- LED lighting and intelligent controls, which can reduce energy consumption by 70%;
- An efficient refrigeration systems that uses environmentally preferable CFC free carbon dioxide (CO2);
- Special fans to maintain temperature throughout the facility;
- Recycled content in building materials, including recycled glass countertops in the lunchroom;
- Natural filtration systems for water to protect the local waterways and fish hatchery in the vicinity;
- 18,000 new plants on-site.
“We’re incredibly proud of our new sustainability-focused and technology-enabled distribution centre in Surrey,” said Horacio Barbeito, president and CEO, Walmart Canada, which operates more than 400 stores. “Facilities like this one are an investment in the community, our associates and customers and allow our suppliers to get their products into the hands of Canadians across the country even faster.”
Earlier this month, Walmart Canada announced plans to open a state-of-the-art 140,000-sq.-ft. supercenter with sustainable features, including a 125,000-sq-ft. green roof, at the Marche Central shopping center in Montreal, Quebec. The store is set to open in summer 2023.