Movianto Triples Capacity for Controlled Substances

With an investment of several million euros, the logistics service provider Movianto, specialized in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors, has tripled its capacity for the storage and handling of controlled substances (CS) in Neunkirchen, Saarland, while also establishing solar power production. 2,878 installed solar panels on the roof of the logistics center will produce as much electricity as 400 two-person households consume on average per year.

(Neunkirchen) “Both projects are tailored future investments that enhance our competitiveness,” says Dennis Spamer, Managing Director of Movianto Germany. The electricity demand of logistics centers will continue to grow as more goods are stored under temperature control and the warehouses need to be cooled or heated accordingly. “With the investment in one of the largest rooftop photovoltaic systems in Saarland, we can cover about a quarter of our electricity needs at the site in an environmentally friendly way and have a stable calculation factor for this part of our production costs for years to come.” Since Movianto’s logistics centers store all goods under temperature control, they have the highest electricity demand on hot summer days when the goods must remain continuously cool despite the heat outside. “That’s why photovoltaics are ideal for us: they provide the most electricity when we have the highest demand.”

Regarding the expansion of the CS warehouse, Spamer said: “The absolute quantities of this market may not seem huge at first glance, but its significance and volume are growing rapidly, especially due to medical cannabis products.” Moreover, it is a market with high demands. “CS require a high level of expertise, precision, and security, as well as extreme structural requirements. Our expansion resembles a bank vault more than a warehouse.”

Wall thicknesses of up to half a meter

For the current expansion of the CS warehouse, reinforced concrete walls up to 26.5 centimeters thick were added to the existing walls. This resulted in wall thicknesses of around half a meter in some areas. Vibration sensors were installed in the walls. The sensors trigger an alarm if someone attempts to drill through the walls outside of operating hours. Since it is a silent alarm, just like the motion detectors in the warehouse itself, intruders are unaware that an alarm has been triggered and has already been automatically forwarded to the police.

The two entrances to the warehouse are secured with thick steel vault doors. Only employees with special access permissions can enter the anteroom of the CS warehouse, which is separated from the rest of the warehouse by a high iron grid. This picking area has been doubled as part of the expansion. “With the larger picking area and because we now have two access points instead of one to the CS warehouse, we can optimize processes and increase throughput,” says Spamer. One vault door is now exclusively for incoming goods, while the other is for outgoing goods. “This creates a clear flow of goods, which speeds up processes and makes them safer.”

More storage space thanks to mobile shelving

The original area of the CS warehouse was 270 square meters and accommodated around 500 pallets. The expansion has doubled the area to 540 square meters. At the same time, the extension has a height of 13 meters – four meters more than the existing warehouse. Additionally, the installation of a mobile shelving system has increased the proportion of storage space to the total area. All of this combined means that three times the number of pallets can be stored on the doubled area, totaling around 1,500. The entire warehouse is maintained at a temperature range between 15 and 25 degrees Celsius through its own ventilation and air conditioning system. Special refrigerators are available for the temperature-sensitive storage of certain products at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius.

The 2,878 solar panels have a module area of 5,700 square meters and a peak output of around 1,200 kilowatts. This results in an expected annual electricity yield of 1.2 million kilowatt-hours (1,200 MWh). In addition to supplying the logistics center, Movianto aims to use the solar power for its own vehicle fleet and for customers arriving in electric cars. To this end, 13 charging stations have already been installed on the premises.

Photo: © Movianto