Visiting DHL Express Finland’s €100M Carbon-Neutral Logistics Center

When invited to the grand opening of DHL Express Finland’s brand-new €100M carbon-neutral terminal, you don’t say no.

Did you know DHL started in Finland in 1982 with just one person working out of a hotel room near the airport? Today, the company has opened a 16,000 m² logistics hub directly connected to Helsinki Airport’s airside. It employs around 150 people and has 90 loading bays that can all be equipped with electric vehicle chargers.

The new terminal is three times larger than the previous site and can process up to 6,500 parcels per hour. More than 80% of international shipments arriving in Finland will now be delivered to customers the same day.

The facility uses geothermal heating, solar panels, and smart energy management to reduce emissions, and it is aiming for both LEED Platinum and TAPA A certifications.

But what struck me most was not the technology or the scale of operations, but when DHL Express Europe CEO Mike Parra said:

"We are not only responsible for our employees, but also for their families."

We’ll be sharing more stories from Europe soon — what would you like us to cover next?