Amazon has built a prototype net-zero-carbon fulfillment center in Sacramento that will be the model for its new same-day delivery centers nationwide.
Seattle-based Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN) says the new center near Sacramento International Airport will be the world’s first zero-carbon fulfillment center or logistics facility certified by the Seattle-based nonprofit International Living Future Institute. Amazon is awaiting certification from the institute.
The same-day center stores thousands of items of inventory that are picked and packed for delivery within hours of ordering from the website, said Natalie Banke, spokeswoman for Amazon.
The building opened in August, and is still awaiting a rooftop solar array that will supply about 80% of its power needs. The rest will be sustainably sourced.
The building will have to be in operation for a year to get its International Living Future Institute certification in 2023.
The 149,000-square-foot center was built with more sustainable building materials like lower-carbon concrete. It has a fully electrified HVAC system and high-efficiency material handling equipment. It is powered by 100% renewable energy, and it uses smart irrigation systems that sense rain to reduce landscape watering. It is also highly insulated to reduce heating and cooling load.
The new building is Metro Air Park Building 4, at 7601 Metro Air Parkway, which is just east of the airport. The same-day delivery center, officially called SCA5, is just south of Amazon’s SMF6 building and north of its SMF1 building in the same industrial park. Those are larger warehouse and fulfillment centers Amazon has developed in recent years. SMF1 is 855,000 square feet, and opened five years ago. SMF6 is over 1 million square feet, and opened last year.
The new building will employ 500 people. Its purpose is compiling and delivering products to customers in the Sacramento region within hours of ordering online, Banke said.
Amazon is not releasing the cost of the building, she said.
“While some initiatives have return on investments such as lower utility and maintenance costs, we’re aiming to reduce the environmental impacts of our buildings because it’s the right thing to do,” said Julia Raish, head of sustainable buildings with Amazon, via email.
Amazon has committed to a climate pledge mandating that the company will be net-zero carbon across all its operations by 2040.
As part of its climate pledge, Amazon has invested in Sacramento company Infinium, and its development of ultra-low carbon electrofuels. Amazon has also committed to buying domestically sourced electrofuels for use in California.
