Maersk Now Has A Special Warehouse For EV Batteries

When it comes to shipping, one size may fit most items. Shipping containers are pretty standard around the world now, and they can be taken by truck, rail, and ship. But, the needs of items inside those containers can vary quite a bit. Things like cars need to be strapped down to prevent damage. Items in boxes or crates are often already protected from jostling, but they may have other needs, like protection from extreme temperatures. Other special items might need special care and handling at other places along the way, even when the items aren’t in transit.

Batteries are definitely a special case. Not only do you need to protect them from extreme temperatures to prevent pre-sale degradation, but they also need to be protected from discharge, puncturing, and catastrophic fires. And, the faster you can get them to assembly plants or repair facilities, the better shape they’ll be in.

Maersk, a well-known global shipping company, seems to know all this, and a recent announcement shows that it is taking it to heart.

With the recent opening of a 14,000-square-meter warehouse specializing in handling batteries for electric cars, A.P Moller-Maersk is expanding its horizons as a preferred logistics partner for Central European automotive manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

Just a stone’s throw away from car manufacturers and suppliers in not only the Czech Republic, but also Eastern & Southern Germany, Teplice is located in the northern part of the Czech Republic. The batteries can quickly and easily be transported by train from popular ports, including Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Rotterdam, Koper, and Rijeka. Additionally, Teplice has great access to Czech and German highways so that distribution to nearby automobile production sites is speedy and reliable — usually only taking a few hours.

“We are an experienced and trusted partner in transportation and logistics for automotive customers,” said Leah Offutt, Maersk Central South Europe Managing Director. “Our processes are widely audited and approved by car makers and OEMs. We are thrilled that we are taking the next step now with this special warehouse, offering dedicated services for electric car batteries right in the heart of the Czech and German car maker clusters.”

The warehouse is fully equipped with safety features to ensure the electric car batteries are handled properly. In addition to thermal monitoring cameras and in-rack sprinklers throughout the warehouse, the space will be divided into four fire-resistant compartments. The special warehouse not only offers repacking services, but also in-depth quality controls, charging of the batteries, and other value-adding services along automotive supply chains.

Maersk is also constructing a new deep-water terminal in Rijeka, which is planned to open in 2025. This will boost handling capacity in the Eastern Adriatic and slash transit times for transports from Asia to Europe, particularly Croatia, the Czech Republic and neighboring countries. As a result, it will also reduce CO2 emissions. It has recently opened two additional warehouses for dry cargo — one in Kladno near Prague (10,000 sqm) and the other in Zagreb, Croatia’s capital city (4,100 sqm). A third warehouse is already scheduled to open in spring of 2023, located in Rijeka with 11,700 sqm. By having these facilities, Maersk has gained strengthened its abilities for end-to-end logistics and supply chain management across Central and Southern Europe.

Featured image provided by Maersk.