Fedex has unveiled its first solar powered cargo facility in Europe at Cologne Bonn Airport which will be its hub of operations in Central and Eastern Europe.

The 16,000sqm state-of-the-art facility boasts a fully automated sorting system that can process up to 18,000 packages and documents an hour.

The cargo hub, opened in partnership with the airport represents a vital link in the logistics giant's world network, acting as a gateway for packages from Central and Eastern Europe and on to the US and Asia.

It also marks a step away from its traditional base of Frankfurt an Main, although this remains an important area of operations

"The opening of the Cologne hub enhances North Rhine-Westphalia's standing as a world-class logistics facility. It offers companies in the region unparalleled growth opportunities as well as the creation of new jobs within the state," Harry K. Voigtsberger, minister for Economic Affairs, Energy, Construction, Housing, and Transport in of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia said in a statement.

"Today's announcement couldn't have come at a more exciting time. The Cologne hub will play a pivotal role in Fedex strategy of strengthening and expanding its market position in Europe," said Gerald P. Leary of Fedex.  "Our new hub is testament to Fedex belief in the economic potential of the German marketplace and its ability to catalyze growth in Central and Eastern Europe," he added

The structure is powered by one of the largest rooftop solar installations in the North Rhine-Westphalia region, with an area of 16,000sqm that is capable of producing some 800,000KW hours of energy per year.

Thanks to this innovation, it is only the second solar-powered FedEx Express hub in the world and the fifth solar-powered facility in operation within FedEx Corp, the Cologne facility will cut its annual CO2 emissions by a projected 3,918 metric tonnes.