CTPark Amsterdam City: an urban logistics building for the times

“Impressive.” Visitors agree: the urban logistics building developed by Dutch company CTP, a new Afilog member, is breathtaking in every respect. Located in the Port of Amsterdam, Europe’s fourth-busiest freight port, CTPark Amsterdam City is a 10-minute drive from downtown and 30 minutes away by water. In addition to its exceptional location, it rises over seven stories, with two warehouse levels where trucks can circulate. At ground level and on the third floor, there is 45,000 m² of storage space, with 250 dock doors. The first and second floors are parking areas. The top four floors are divided between stairwells (for use in the event of fire) and office space offering sweeping views of the Port of Amsterdam. CTPark Amsterdam City also impresses by providing its tenants with 100% alternative energy and aiming to become a new benchmark for sustainability. It enables emissions-free logistics through a dedicated fast-charging station with 12 charging points, allowing trucks to get back on the road as quickly as possible. The XXL urban logistics hub, with 200 loading docks, also provides 1,600 covered parking spaces spread across two parking levels, likewise equipped with electric charging stations.

CTPark Amsterdam City has also chosen to generate its own electricity by installing 13,000 solar panels, producing more than 5 million kWh per year. An advanced energy-management system also enables close monitoring and control of each user’s energy consumption. The use of self-generated renewable energy reduces energy bills for users and visitors to the site. Another innovation implemented on the site is a 1-megawatt-hour battery capable of storing surplus energy, designed to manage peaks in energy production and make that energy available when needed.

Road vehicles are not the only ones to benefit from this alternative energy. Fast chargers have also been made available for electric boats. A private 360-meter-long quay provides sufficient space to accommodate vessels of all sizes. Delivery by sea container is therefore possible from the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp, with direct waterway access to Amsterdam, Schiphol, Haarlem, and Zaandam, avoiding road congestion and therefore limiting additional pollution.

To ensure smooth flows, major adjustments have also been made to the infrastructure around the site, notably for bicycle traffic. Bicycles are particularly well suited to deliveries in dense urban traffic, as well as on streets where vehicle traffic is difficult or prohibited. CTP therefore decided to build bike paths around its site, along with tunnels and roundabouts, so that bicycles can reach downtown safely and quickly. Cargo bikes can also use dedicated freight elevators, each capable of carrying up to four bikes. They can therefore easily reach the loading areas.

For Bert Hesselink, CTP’s Group Customer Relations Director, CTPark Amsterdam City addresses every current urban challenge. “Studies show that life expectancy in Amsterdam is 11 months shorter than in other cities in the Netherlands,” he explains. “The temperature is also 1.6°C higher than it was in 1950. In addition, 67% of Amsterdam residents do not feel safe in urban traffic, and there were more than 1,160 serious accidents in 2022.” Another observation made by Afilog’s first member outside France is that Amsterdam’s population continues to grow at a significant pace, accompanied by the construction of new housing. The city is therefore continuing to densify, placing ever-greater pressure on public spaces and infrastructure. As a result, logistics are becoming increasingly complex and intensive. “Thanks to its proximity to several highways and its access to the North Sea Canal, our site facilitates deliveries to downtown, whether by boat, truck, or electric bicycle, with the possibility of doing so without polluting emissions. This is an asset, given that zero-emission zones will be introduced in many cities by 2025.”

Among its many advantages, CTPark Amsterdam City can also claim to have been built using recycled materials, earning it BREEAM Excellent sustainability certification. An A+++++ rating has also been awarded to the building’s office section, indicating the energy efficiency of its insulation, heating, cooling, hot-water, ventilation, humidification, and lighting systems. This 120,000 m² development of leasable space, located in the commercial capital of the Netherlands—considered a European financial and cultural center, home to numerous Dutch institutions and universities as well as many global companies—provides a strong example of what can be achieved in sustainable urban logistics.