DHL Global Forwarding Singapore is to open a dedicated healthcare logistics facility at Changi Airport, expanding its capacity to handle high-value, time and temperature sensitive healthcare and life sciences shipments across the Asia Pacific.
The new facility, to be known as the DHL Singapore Coldchain Hub, will be located at Changi Nexus One within the Changi Airfreight Center. The new site will allow for the secure and reliable movement of specialized healthcare cargo through Changi Airport, with temperature-controlled facilities and direct access to the airside.
The facility, which is 3,047 sqm in size, is expected to be completed by late 2027 and will be built to meet standards for Good Distribution Practice (GDP). It can carry healthcare shipments requiring controlled temperatures of 2°C-8°C and 15°C-25°C.
Temperature controlled infrastructure
The hub will have GDP-qualified cold rooms, direct connectivity to the airside and real-time temperature monitoring systems. DHL will also deploy special temperature-controlled transfer solutions to move cargo from aircraft to the facility and then to customers’ warehouses.
The investment is part of DHL Group’s broader expansion into the life sciences and healthcare space. It is also part of the group’s €2 billion investment in DHL Health Logistics under Strategy 2030, which is dedicated to strengthening infrastructure, capabilities and specialized logistics solutions for the healthcare industry.
Demand for biologics, specialty medicines and other temperature-sensitive products is growing in the Asia-Pacific region, and healthcare supply chains are undergoing dramatic change, said Praveen Gregory, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
“Singapore’s connectivity, specialized logistics infrastructure and regulatory environment give the country a strong position to support this expansion,” Gregory said. The new facility will also help DHL meet future demand for cold chain services and contribute to more resilient healthcare supply chains, he added.
Cold chain in Singapore pharma to grow
The Singapore pharmaceutical cold chain market is expected to grow at an annualized rate of about seven per cent, the release said. The pharmaceutical cold-chain is anticipated to increase from 14 million kilograms in 2028 to 17 million kilograms in 2031.
The new facility will leverage Changi Airport’s existing air connectivity, airside infrastructure and specialized cargo-handling capabilities, said Lim Ching Kiat, Executive Vise President of Air Hub & Cargo Development at Changi Airport Group.
The DHL hub will be an addition to the airport’s current temperature-controlled infrastructure. This includes airside thermal protection solutions such as cool dollies, and over 9,000sqm of airside-fronting temperature-controlled handling capacity, which can handle more than 375,000 tons per annum.
The new DHL facility will be situated at Changi Nexus One, an air logistics facility in the Changi Airfreight Center. The facility provides almost 8,000 sqm of warehousing space and direct access to the apron, offering the infrastructure needed for the movement of temperature sensitive cargo between aircraft, logistics facilities and downstream customers.
