METRO, Goodman and BayWa r.e. inaugurate Germany’s largest Solar Rooftop installation at logistics site in Marl

In a cross-company collaboration, the property group Goodman, the renewable energy company BayWa r.e. and the wholesaler METRO are sending a clear signal for more sustainability and climate protection with the inauguration of Germany's largest solar rooftop plant at the METRO logistics site in Marl. Two solar rooftop installations are involved – one with around 6 MWp and another on the second building with around 12 MWp, which is Germany's largest solar rooftop installation. In total, the two installations equal an area of 14 football fields with 43,000 installed photovoltaic modules with a total capacity of 18 MWp. The companies are thus making a significant contribution to the promotion of renewable energies and the implementation of the ambitious climate goals of the North Rhine-Westphalian government.

Mona Neubaur, Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy and Deputy Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia: "Germany's largest rooftop photovoltaic system is now located here in Marl in the Ruhr region. As a lighthouse project, this cooperation is exemplary for the sustainable energy generation of the future and for the accelerated expansion of solar energy here in North Rhine-Westphalia. Inexpensive, locally produced electricity is now a key location factor for companies and a key for our state on the way to becoming the first climate-neutral industrial region in Europe.

The photovoltaic system will generate enough green energy to meet METRO LOGISTICS' own needs at the site and feed surplus energy into the grid. In addition, the entire building complex has already been awarded the Gold Certificate of the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB). METRO LOGISTICS, as the operator of the property, has strong partners on its side in Goodman as an international property group and BayWa r.e. as a developer, service and solution provider in the field of renewable energies.

Christof Prange, Managing Director of Goodman Germany GmbH, emphasises: "We are consistently expanding capacities for the generation of green energy and thus making our contribution to a rapid energy turnaround. The 18 MWp we operate in Marl is roughly equivalent to the electricity needs of 5,100 households". Günter Haug, COO at BayWa r.e., adds: "Large industrial and commercial real estate groups like Goodman play a key role in helping companies to optimally use their large roof areas to generate renewable energy. This flagship project serves as an important example and showcase for industrial and logistics companies that want to make a real difference when it comes to sustainability."

For METRO as an international wholesaler, climate protection is of particular importance in many areas. With 102 stores in Germany alone, the challenges are manifold, for example in areas of renewal of the heating infra-structure, the conversion of cooling systems to natural coolants as well as an expansion of the electric vehicle fleet and the increased use of photovoltaic systems. Christiane Giesen, Chief People & Culture Officer, Labour Director and Member of the Management Board of METRO AG: "The commissioning of the PV plant in Marl is an important step for our climate strategy. METRO has set itself the goal in 2021 to consistently reduce its carbon footprint worldwide and to be completely climate neutral in its own business operations by 2040. An ambitious goal - but with good partners and the right framework conditions from the political side, we are confident that we will achieve this goal and make our contribution to more climate protection."

About METRO
METRO is a leading international food wholesaler which specialises in serving the needs of hotels, restaurants, and caterers (HoReCa) as well as independent merchants (Traders). Around the world, METRO has approx. 17 million customers who benefit from the wholesale company’s unique multichannel mix: customers can purchase their goods in one of the large stores in their area as well as by delivery (Food Service Distribution, FSD) – all digitally supported and connected. In parallel, METRO MARKETS is being developed as an international online marketplace for the needs of professional customers. Acting sustainably is one of the company principles of METRO which has been listed in various sustainability indices and rankings for many years, including FTSE4Good, MSCI and CDP. METRO operates in more than 30 countries and employs over 93,000 people worldwide. In financial year 2021/22, METRO generated sales of €29.8 billion.

As a subsidiary, METRO LOGISTICS handles procurement, distribution and contract logistics as well as logistics fulfilment in e-commerce for the group and for external customers. With 1,500 employees, METRO LOGISTICS operates eight of its own multi-user logistics centres at geo-optimised hubs in Germany with a storage area of around 500,000 m². For more information visit: www.metro-logistics.de

About Goodman
Goodman Group is a global industrial property specialist group with operations in key consumer markets across Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe, the United Kingdom, and the Americas. Goodman Group, comprised of the stapled entities Goodman Limited, Goodman Industrial Trust and Goodman Logistics (HK) Limited, is the largest property group on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: GMG), a top 20 entity by market capitalisation, and one of the largest listed specialist investment managers of industrial property globally. Goodman provides essential infrastructure for the digital economy by owning, developing, and managing high-quality sustainable properties that are close to consumers in key cities around the world. Our property portfolio includes logistics and distribution centres, warehouses, light industrial, multi-storey industrial, business parks and data centres. We take a long-term view, investing significantly alongside our capital partners in our investment management platform and concentrating our portfolio where we can create the most value for customers and investors. For more information visit: www.goodman.com

About BayWa r.e.
At BayWa r.e. we r.e.think energy - how it is produced, stored and can be best used to enable the global renewable energy transition that is essential to the future of our planet. We are a leading global developer, service supplier, distributor and solutions provider and have brought over 5.5 GW of energy online and manage over 10 GW of assets. We are also an Independent Power Producer with an expanding energy trading business. BayWa r.e. works with businesses worldwide to provide tailored renewable solutions. Operating 100% carbon compensated, we are also committed to our own sustainability journey. Every day, we are working hard to actively shape the future of energy in a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace. Our shareholders are BayWa AG, a €27.1 billion global business, and Energy Infrastructure Partners, a leader in energy infrastructure investment. For more information: www.baywa-re.de