Amazon has started building a £40 million delivery station in Stockton-on-Tees, with the company hoping the site will be the first to achieve zero carbon certification outside of the US.

The online retail giant said the facility will use advanced building techniques and new technologies to help reduce its environmental impact.

To cut emissions by around 20 per cent, Amazon said the facility will use AI tracking, carbon-storing materials and renewable energy.

It will also incorporate sustainability features such as locally sourced and lower-carbon building materials.

The company said timber and lower-carbon concrete will replace more traditional materials, while technology like AI-powered carbon tracking will allow engineers to track emissions across all building systems such as wiring and plumbing fixtures.

The building will create around 100 jobs and is part of Amazon’s commitment to invest £40 billion in the UK from 2025 to 2027.

More than 1,400-square-meter of rooftop solar panels will power daytime operations, with the company also using an all-electric heating and cooling system.

Amazon said that water-saving plumbing fixtures are set to reduce water consumption by around 20 per cent compared to conventional designs.

The new 10,800-square-meter facility, where packages will be sorted for delivery to customers in North Yorkshire and parts of County Durham, will be the first building in Amazon’s global network to register for Living Future’s Zero Carbon Certification (v1.1), meaning it is constructed to rigorous sustainability standards.

Amazon said it will be constructed to the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard, the new UK framework.

The building, which will open this autumn, will become eligible for certification in 2027 following a full year of operational data collection and third-party assessment.

“Decarbonising buildings means tackling both how we build and how we operate,” said Prajvin Prakash, UK director of Amazon logistics. “This site shows how we’re using smarter materials, advanced technology, and AI-driven insights to cut emissions from day one and improve performance over the long term.”

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