ANA to consolidate operations at Narita

Japanese carrier ANA Cargo plans to consolidate most of its cargo operations at Narita International Airport into a new facility, which will feature automated vehicles and unit load devices. The new facility is expected to open in October 2024. [caption id="attachment_57138432" align="alignright" width="300"] Cargo Building No. 8, rendered above, is due to be complete in October 2024 at Narita International Airport. (Photo/NAA)[/caption] The Narita International Airport Corp. (NAA) will construct the facility to address the inefficiencies caused by having cargo buildings dispersed throughout Narita Airport (NRT), according to an NAA release. ANA plans to lease the new building, which will be the carrier’s largest, with a total area of about 61,000 square meters and a warehouse area of about 38,000 square meters, according to the release. ANA has been operating six cargo warehouses at NRT but plans to consolidate into two warehouses: an existing facility and the new one. The new facility, dubbed Cargo Building No. 8, will be two stories with a steel frame, and will be used for imports and exports between Asia and North America, according to the release. “NAA and ANA will utilize Cargo Building No. 8 to enhance Narita Airport’s role as an Asian gateway and bolster the international competitiveness of cargo by strengthening both exports and imports to and from Japan,” the release stated. AGVs, automated ULDs and more In a bid to further automate cargo processes, Cargo Building No. 8, will deploy automated guided vehicles (AGV). AGVs are robotic vehicles that do not require a driver and are often used to transport heavy materials in warehouses and factories. “We will use about 85 AGVs,” ANA spokesperson Minori Kinoue told Air Cargo Next . “They will be responsible for cargo transport, storage management and storing operations in the warehouse. Equipped with safety devices that automatically move and detect obstacles, the AGVs can reduce the risk of contact with people and cargo.” The new facility will also have automated unit load device (ULD) racks, expanding the storage space for cargo received from customers. “ULD transport, storage and management operations are automated” with this technology, Kinoue said. A new cargo gate near the new building, with direct access to the cargo terminal area, will improve access, the release stated. [caption id="attachment_57138433" align="alignnone" width="1024"] (Photo/NAA)[/caption] Sustainability goals As part of its decarbonization efforts , the NAA is working to achieve Net Zero Energy Building (ZEB) certification for Cargo Building No. 8, according to the release. The building achieved “ZEB Oriented” certification from Japan’s Ministry of the Environment in June by adopting high-efficiency air conditioning equipment and building materials with high thermal insulation performance. “In light of the changes in the environment surrounding airports, we have established ‘Sustainable NRT 2050’ to set out the direction of our initiatives leading up to fiscal 2050,” Masashi Yokozuka , manager of cargo sales and marketing at NAA, told Air Cargo Next . “Its long-term target is to reduce CO2 emissions from Narita Airport by 50%” from its 2015 levels. Additionally, NAA will install a photovoltaic power generation system to create energy in Cargo Building No. 8. Photovoltaic power generation is the process of converting energy from the sun into electricity using solar panels. This system should “be able to cover approximately 16% of Cargo Building No. 8’s annual energy consumption,” Yokozuka said.

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