Urban Partners and HIH Invest launch 37,000 sq m green logistics hub in Germany
Urban Partners, a pan-European real estate investor, and HIH Invest Real Estate, one of Germany’s leading institutional real estate managers, have acquired a 65,220 sq m brownfield site in Herten, North Rhine-Westphalia, to develop a sustainable logistics centre.
The project will be delivered through a forward funding agreement with seller E-Group. Construction is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2025 and completion is due in the third quarter of 2026.
The development will comprise 36,821 sq m of lettable space, including 33,416 sq m of logistics facilities, 1,153 sq m of offices and 2,252 sq m of mezzanine. The asset is already around 50% pre-let. It will also feature 170 car parking spaces and five lorry bays. HIH Invest will act as an asset manager once the property is operational.
The site, located at Emscherbruch 10, is within the ‘Green Hub Emscher’ — a former coal slag heap now being transformed into an industrial and commercial zone. It offers direct access to the A2, A42, and A43 motorways and is close to the Herne container terminal.
Wolfgang Ködel, head of Nrep Germany, said: “The prime logistics property market in Germany is characterised by limited supply, even more so when it comes to sustainable and flexible space. Our partnership with HIH Invest is complementary to our existing strategies to capitalise on this opportunity and strengthen our German market presence.
“By combining our expertise in developing best-in-class logistics centres with HIH’s asset management capabilities, we can unlock substantial value through these development projects.”
The facility targets DGNB Gold certification and will be built to comply with the EU taxonomy for sustainable economic activities. It will feature a 2.2-megawatt rooftop photovoltaic system and modern heat pump technology. The building is designed for 24/7 operations, with a clear internal height of 12.2 metres and a floor load capacity of five tonnes per square metre.
Maximilian Tappert, head of transaction management logistics at HIH Invest, said: “The completed property will meet the highest sustainability and efficiency standards and be built in accordance with the taxonomy. We are also aiming for DGNB Gold certification.”
The investment is being made through Urban Partners’ Nordic Strategies Fund V via its logistics platform Logicenters. Urban Partners, formerly Nrep, manages over €20 billion in assets across real estate and infrastructure in the Nordics and Central Europe, with a strong focus on sustainable development. Logicenters is its dedicated logistics arm, with a presence across Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway and Germany.
HIH Invest Real Estate is part of the HIH Group and manages around €17.7 billion in assets for institutional clients. It specialises in regulated investment vehicles, asset management, and development services across Germany and selected European markets.
The project reflects a growing institutional appetite for energy-efficient, large-scale logistics assets in Germany’s key industrial corridors, particularly those offering multimodal transport access and redevelopment potential.
