10 American Journal of Transportation American Journal of Transportation ajot.com DHL bets big on new energy as investment flows reshape project cargo demand Logistics giant targets €3 billion in new energy revenue by 2030. By Luke King, special to AJOT When DHL Group convened its New Energy Conference at its Global Forwarding facility at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in June, the agenda reflected the full breadth of the energy transition – from wind and battery storage to grid infrastructure and nuclear. The case for optimism was clear. Roughly two-thirds of global energy capital expen- diture now flows into renewables, Tobias Meyer, DHL Group CEO, told attendees. Battery energy storage systems are growing at around 20% per year. The International Energy Agency projects that renewable power capacity will nearly double its deployment rate between 2025 and 2030 compared to the pre- vious five-year period. “Data from the IEA tells us that new energy is scaling at a record-breaking pace, outstripping all other power sources,” Meyer said. “Our combination of reach, reliability, and sector expertise is what companies and countries can lean on to facilitate the energy transition and bolster resilience.” DHL’s ambition matches that assessment. The group generated approximately €600 mil- lion in new energy logistics revenue in 2025 and is targeting €3 billion by 2030 – a five- fold increase requiring a sustained growth rate above 30% per year. To reach that number, it is investing across the board: over 1,100 front-stocking locations that can deliver spare parts to 88% of wind farms globally within a four-hour window, more than 20 EV Centers of Excellence worldwide, and a new Euro- pean Battery Logistics Hub under construction (L to R) Tobias Meyer – DHL Group, Oscar de Bok – DHL Global Forwarding, Martyn Lawns – DHL Industrial Projects (BIG – continued on page 17) The struggles of wind energy By EC Lauriat, AJOT (STRUGGLES – continued on page 12) In June, Connecticut, Del- aware, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont joined together to sue the US Department of the Inte- rior over the Trump Admin- istration’s payout of around $928 million to TotalEnergies to cancel offshore wind leases. As a condition for the deal, TotalEnergies agreed to redi- rect the funds into oil and gas investments instead of renew- ables. In late August, Califor- nia launched its own lawsuit against the Trump Adminis- tration focusing on the deal between the US Department of the Interior and Golden State Wind, for $120 million. As in the case of the TotalEnergies deal, the payout was contingent on ‘a commitment to invest in fossil fuel developments. Demand for Wind Energy US demand for electric- ity is projected to increase by 20%-to-32% over the next four years, as data centers, AI usage, advanced manufac- turing, and electrification of vehicles and other tradition- ally non-electric systems are transitioned into service. But how the US will keep up with the increasing demand on the national grid is a question. Where will the necessary ter- awatts come from? The US with an official shoreline length of over 95,000 miles is in a unique position to exploit wind power. The US coastal states have the room for development of new wind projects. And the East Coast is already benefiting from the few projects that have made it into service. According to a study by RystadEnergy, renewable energy is set to comprise 36% of global power generation by the end of 2026. According to the study, “Renewables made up over 89% of added capac- ity last year and will account for more than 91% in 2026, mainly from solar PV and wind. Solar, wind and battery storage are together set to bring 815 gigawatts (GW) in additions this year.” Since the energy demand is high, and only continues to grow, the supply must grow as well. Renewable energy sources, such as wind, are rising to the challenge. According to RystadEnergy, “Manufacturing capacity of wind turbines expanded sub- stantially during the past two decades to meet increasing demand. Growth has now stalled, with manufacturing capacity of nacelles expected to rise marginally over the next 10 years from a current level of 375 GW to 400– 420 GW per year in 2035. Blade manufacturing capacity is also expected to be stable at around 320 GW per year in the same time period.” The
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