Prologis and DHL have replaced the gas-fired heating system at DHL’s warehouse in Prologis Park Dąbrowa Górnicza with a fully electric heat pump installation. The upgrade ends the use of on-site fossil fuel heating at the approximately 25,000-square-metre facility, which DHL has occupied since 2004.
The warehouse had previously relied on gas heating, generating around 186 tonnes of CO₂ each year. By switching to a fully electric system, with the capacity of of 715 kW, the site reduces its operational emissions and aligns with DHL’s wider approach to lowering carbon emissions from buildings through the use of energy-efficient, fossil-free technologies.
Separately from its carbon impact, the new heat pump installation also improves day-to-day building performance. The system provides both heating and cooling from a single installation, allowing internal temperatures to be managed more consistently across seasons, including during summer heatwaves. A central control system manages the heating and cooling operation across the warehouse, allowing output to be adjusted in line with operational demand.
“This project addresses both how the building operates and how it contributes to our climate objectives,” said Karol Zalewski-Biziuk, Country Facility Management Lead at DHL. “Reducing emissions from our facilities is a key part of DHL’s carbon-neutral building approach, and electrifying heating at existing sites is an important step in that process.”
The heat pump project is being delivered as part of the Prologis Essentials platform, which provides customers with a range of services to adapt their warehouses to their specific needs. These services range from solutions like racking and mezzanine installation to energy-efficiency solutions, such as supporting the transition to heat-pump systems. The program leverages Prologis’ global purchasing power, enabling partners to access high-quality equipment under favorable terms.
“Our starting point with every Essentials project is a detailed analysis of how a building is used and what the customer actually needs,” said Michał Tasior, Essentials Solutions Manager at Prologis. “In this case, we focused on DHL’s energy demand and how the warehouse could transition away from gas heating in a way that supports both operational requirements and carbon reduction.”
Prologis managed the heat pump design, procurement and installation in coordination with DHL, applying its project management capability and technical expertise to plan and deliver the upgrade within a live logistics operation.
The Dąbrowa Górnicza project marks the early stages of a broader shift across Polish logistics real estate, where heat pumps are beginning to be adopted in both new and existing buildings. Fully electric heating systems are increasingly being specified in new warehouses, while retrofit projects are starting to emerge as owners and occupiers look to reduce reliance on gas and adapt assets to evolving energy and regulatory requirements.