DHL Express opens automated Leipzig sorting center

To meet the demands of the international markets, DHL Express opened its automated sorting center at its newly expanded facility in Leipzig. The new equipment adds to the German facility’s airfreight capacity by about 50 percent, to 150,000 shipments per hour, and enables DHL to handle bulkier and heavier items.

The key to the expansion, which cost €230 million, is the fully automated sorting technology that combines various innovative, reinforced conveyor systems to handle packages weighing up to 170 kilograms. These heavier items tend to damage conventional conveyor belts, DHL said.

“The expansion of our capacity, and particularly the introduction of our new sorting technology, provide our customers with two crucial advantages: even more reliability at an even greater speed,” said Ralph Wondrak, managing director of DHL Leipzig Hub. “Through our investment, we are able not only to increase the daily capacity of our flights but also to further improve our efficiency.”

The expansion covers a total area of 44,000 square meters – 40,000 square meters for the warehouse building and 4,000 for office facilities.

During the Oct. 12 opening ceremony, Frank Appel, CEO of Deutsche Post DHL Group, said that the investment in the new equipment and expansions demonstrates the commitment that DHL has to the Leipzig facility. All told, DHL Express has invested €655 million in the Leipzig hub, including the costs for the most recent upgrade.