DHL Supply Chain unveils four new facilities for healthcare products

DHL Supply Chain is launching four new healthcare-grade storage facilities all around Australia which will be housed across the Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth metropolitan areas.  

To meet the increasing demand for these products, the new facilities will be used to store and manage inventory of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, vaccines, animal health, diagnostics, and other consumer health products.  

Additionally, the warehouses will be also used to manage the storage and distribution of future COVID-19 vaccines. 

The total combined floor space of these facilities is around 64,000 sqm, or the size of nine football fields. More than 9,000 sqm of DHL’s cold-chain operations are included in the investment to support vital cold chain products around Australia that need to be stored between 2 to 8 Degrees Celsius.  

DHL also has proprietary packaging solutions designed specifically for the secure delivery of pharmaceutical products.  

“The Life Sciences and Healthcare industry is one of the most heavily regulated industries, and DHL is the only 3PL in Australia to provide solutions that meet current global regulations,” said Saul Resnick, CEO, DHL Supply Chain, Australia and New Zealand. 

Resnick said that they have seen growing interest for their industry-leading cold storage facilities which in turn, drives better outcomes for the storage and distribution of healthcare products.  

Increasingly, he said that they have also seen a growing appetite for local distribution centres to be an ongoing part of global supply chain.

DHL Supply Chain has also announced its plans to invest in a multi-million transport management system and national control tower to aid in more efficient consignment planning and provide better visibility of deliveries for customers.  

This builds on existing industry-leading transport solutions, which may soon allow DHL to offer deliveries using dual temperature controlled vehicles. This is set to provide a sustainable solution for the environment, reduce packaging, and will enhance the current products DHL has today.  

DHL stresses the important part of clinical trials in their service. “The success of clinical trials depends on effective temperature-controlled, accuracy, and end-to-end solutions that ensure cell-based pharmaceuticals are not compromised,” said Resnick.  

He said that for years, they have managed the safe and efficient delivery of millions of vaccines, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and other healthcare products for their customers to ensure all Australians have access to the treatments they need. 

The new warehouses will be powered by a combined 2,700kW of solar power, including the company’s 1700kW urban solar plant, which is Australia’s first dynamic urban solar power station. Currently, the latter is powering DHL’s New South Wales facility in Horsely Park.   

DHL also announced further plans to introduce a cold chain automation picking and packaging solution in New South Wales, set to be another first in Australia.  

Source: DHL