Panattoni has exceeded 500,000 sqm of industrial space with the highest Outstanding rating under the international Breeam New Construction sustainability certification in the Czech Republic. This milestone was achieved with the recent certification of ZF's automated distribution centre at Panattoni Business Park Ostrov North.
Among other projects meeting the strictest sustainability requirements are Amazon's distribution centre in Kojetín, Shape Corp's manufacturing facility in Nýřany, and Panattoni Business Park Cheb South, where all buildings received the highest Breeam New Construction rating. These projects share a focus on recycling and brownfield utilisation.
Long-term investments in green construction, environmental standards and energy innovations are now delivering measurable results while strengthening the region's competitiveness. "The great news is that this trend is no longer driven only by market and investor or tenant requirements, but is beginning to rise in the state's priority agenda. New legislative tools, such as the building law amendment or acceleration zones for renewable sources, enable faster implementation of innovations and create prerequisites for further paths to decarbonisation of Czech industry," said Pavel Sovička, General Director of Panattoni for Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Current industrial development trends combine innovative materials, efficient energy systems, digitalisation and circular economy principles. Panattoni implements these elements not only where technology and legislation already allow, but actively participates in changing rules so progressive solutions can become common practice.
Construction worldwide faces pressure to reduce CO2 emissions. Thanks to modern technologies, operational emissions have been reduced, but the challenge remains with embedded carbon - emissions arising directly during construction and production of building materials. The future lies in innovative material solutions that can bind carbon. In practice, concrete with a higher proportion of recycled content is already being used, saving both aggregate and cement. Mass timber constructions can reduce buildings' carbon footprint by 32-40% compared to concrete and steel.
In 2024, Panattoni obtained positive approval from the Fire Rescue Service of the Plzeň Region to use wooden roof trusses and purlins in the construction of large industrial halls for manufacturing and logistics. Until now, wooden roof structures in the Czech Republic were used exclusively for residential, office or smaller industrial buildings.
Electricity consumption is steadily increasing and expanding into all sectors, with electric technologies being up to three times more efficient than their fossil counterparts. Industrial halls are increasingly electrifying, bringing new economic opportunities. Industrial areas increasingly produce and share energy themselves, complement photovoltaics with wind sources, develop fast charging for freight transport and use large heat pumps for heating decarbonisation.
"Electrification of industry is key to energy transformation and an opportunity where Europe can lead. It brings higher efficiency and flexibility for the future. Technologies such as heat pumps are many times more efficient than gas-based technologies. We have already delivered almost 800,000 sqm of buildings equipped with heat pumps to our clients in the Czech Republic," added Pavel Fojtík, Regional Sustainability Manager at Panattoni.
