Walmart Canada has announced in a press release the opening of its first sustainable fresh food distribution centre which will help the company to avoid approximately C$4.8m in energy costs over fiveyears.
The state-of-the-art facility will be an estimated 60 per cent more energy-efficient than the company’s traditional refrigerated centres, according to the retailer.
Reputedly one of North America’s most energy-efficient distribution centres, the Balzac facility is a “living laboratory” of sustainability, and features the company’s first pilots of hydrogen fuel cells, solar thermal and wind power, as well as many other sustainability features and products.
Deepak Obhrai, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (on behalf of Canada’s Environment Minister John Baird) joined Andy Ellis, Walmart Canada’s SVP of Supply Chain and Logistics, as well as Walmart suppliers and associates to unveil the “first-of-its-kind facility”.
“Our sustainable distribution centre showcases the immediate business returns of investing in green innovations and the positive impact of a sustainability mindset through all phases of a project,” said Mr Ellis.
“This living lab of sustainability is supporting the expansion of our modern Supercentre format while also helping us get closer to meeting our long-term sustainability goals. The successful completion of this ambitious project supports our long-held belief that environmental and business sustainability can go hand-in-hand.”
“The Government of Canada congratulates Walmart Canada for its commitment to environmental leadership,” added Canada’s Environment Minister John Baird.
“Projects like this innovative Perishable Distribution Centre create a showcase for industry in Alberta and keep our nation on the cutting edge of green technologies.”
Walmart Canada has invested C$115m to build the 400,000ft2 centre, which the company claims is one of Canada’s largest refrigerated buildings.
The facility will serve as a hub for fresh and frozen food destined for 104 of the company’s stores in western Canada, from Manitoba to British Columbia.
Walmart Canada said it has invested C$220m in the past two years to update and expand its distribution network.
The retailer’s national network supplies 321 stores from eight distribution facilities: four sites in Calgary, Alberta, including Balzac; one site in Cornwall, Ontario; and three sites in Mississauga.
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