DHL has acquired a 7.0-hectare site in France to build a 32,000m² facility to support pharmaceutical distribution with dedicated temperature-controlled and cold-chain capabilities.

At the site in Escrennes, south of Paris, DHL plans to develop a multi-user life sciences and healthcare campus designed to meet the highest environmental and regulatory standards. The site is expected to go live in the second half of 2028.

DHL bought the site from JMG Partners, which led the development studies and secured the planning and environmental authorisations. The future multi-user campus will expand DHL’s supply chain capabilities in one of France’s most dynamic logistics and industrial regions.

Located 90km south of Paris, the site comprises nearly 70,000m² of land and will host a 32,000m² facility designed to meet the stringent requirements of pharmaceutical and healthcare logistics operations. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of next year, with operational go-live targeted for the second half of 2028 following relevant regulatory approvals.

The Escrennes site has direct access to the A19 motorway and strong connectivity to the A10 and A77 corridors, enabling nationwide distribution coverage within less than 24 hours.

“Positioned between Paris and Orléans, the new site benefits from proximity to France’s largest pharmaceutical market and one of the country’s strongest healthcare production ecosystems,” said Christof Debrun, CEO of DHL Supply Chain in France.

The campus will provide temperature-controlled storage capabilities between +15 and +25˚C, alongside the ability to implement a dedicated box-in-box cell that will support +2 to +8˚C storage requirements for temperature-sensitive products. The site will also include a dangerous goods area compliant with several ICPE classifications, enabling DHL to support a broad range of healthcare and pharmaceutical products under strict regulatory conditions.

The facility will also have a 2.8MW photovoltaic power plant, including a 300kW self-consumption installation, supporting the site’s energy performance and carbon reduction objectives.

DHL (www.dhl.com) hopes the facility will reinforce its position as a trusted logistics partner for the life sciences and healthcare sector, supporting pharmaceutical manufacturers, healthcare companies and medical device organisations with resilient, compliant and scalable supply chain options.