Outstanding revitalisation: Panattoni wins the Brownfield24 Award 2025

Sustainability is certainly rewarding – as Panattoni knows well, having received the Brownfield24 Award 2025 in the “Best Brownfield Project (Logistics)” category. By revitalising a contaminated industrial site to create a sustainable logistics facility for Mercedes-Benz AG – the International Consolidation Center (ICC) in Bischweier – Panattoni has set new standards in environmental, social and commercial project development.

In the ICC Bischweier project, Panattoni showed how to successfully implement the sustainable transformation of contaminated industrial land. At roughly 200,000 m², the site was one of the largest revitalisation projects in the company’s history – and has now been recognised with the Brownfield Award 2025 in the Logistics category. The award, which is presented annually by the Brownfield24 initiative during a convention bearing the same name, acknowledges projects that avoid sealing new soil wherever possible and are exemplary sustainable solutions. These accolades aim to raise public awareness of brownfield sites and establish them as a solution to the shortage of available land in Germany in the eyes of politicians and researchers.

At this year’s awards, Panattoni was one of 16 submissions in the “Best Brownfield Project (Logistics)” category and one of three projects recognised in the final round. “Winning the Brownfield24 Award confirms that our commitment to sustainability, innovation and securing local acceptance sets the standard in revitalisation projects,” says Fred-Markus Bohne, Managing Partner at Panattoni in Germany and Austria. “This award is a mark of appreciation for our entire team and our partners, who collaborated with us on this complex flagship project for sustainable logistics.”

The site of the former Kronospan factory in Bischweier featured a variety of legacy issues, with this pollution cleaned up in close coordination with the Rastatt district authorities. Around 250,000 tonnes of demolition material was reused during the project, which saved roughly 14,000 lorry transports. By reactivating the site’s rail connection and establishing a loading hall, the developer realised a portion of the goods transports by rail. The concept was supplemented with an innovative electric truck charging system in the loading tunnel for fully electric short-distance transports. The ICC impresses with its outstanding energy efficiency – 70.5% below the standard set in the German Buildings Energy Act (GEG) – and fossil-free heating systems based on air-source heat pumps. A photovoltaic installation with capacity of 9 MW_p, extensive revegetation and rainwater use further boost the project’s environmental profile.

In recognition of its pioneering nature, the project has been awarded Platinum certification by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) and was the first in Germany to receive Brownfield certification from the German Brownfield Association (DEBV).

Das Gelände des ehemaligen Kronospan-Werks in Bischweier wies diverse Altlasten aus, die in enger Abstimmung mit dem Landratsamt Rastatt im Rahmen einer Schadstoffsanierung entfernt wurden. Rund 250.000 Tonnen Rückbaumaterial konnten wiederverwendet und dadurch etwa 14.000 Lkw-Fahrten eingespart werden. Durch den reaktivierten Gleisanschluss sowie eine Bahnverladehalle wird künftig ein Teil des Güterverkehrs auf die Schiene verlagert. Ergänzt wird das Konzept durch ein innovatives E-Truck-Ladesystem im Verladetunnel für vollelektrische Nahverkehre. Das ICC punktet mit höchster Energieeffizienz – 70,5 % unter GEG-Standard – und einer fossilfreien Beheizung mittels Luftwärmepumpen. Photovoltaik mit bis zu 9 MWp, extensive Begrünung und Regenwassernutzung tragen zur ökologischen Aufwertung bei.

Für seine Vorreiterrolle erhielt das Projekt zudem die DGNB-Platin-Zertifizierung und als erstes in Deutschland die Brownfield-Zertifizierung des Deutschen Brownfield Verbandes (DEBV).