Dunstable MP supports renewable schemes at Amazon site

Mr Selous at the Amazon fulfilment centre in Dunstable

The team at Amazon in Dunstable welcomed a special guest this week when Andrew Selous MP visited the fulfilment centre for a behind-the-scenes tour.

The South West Beds MP was given a guided tour of the centre, which he opened in 2015.

As part of Andrew’s tour, he was shown the solar panels on the roof of the site, which are used to power the building. The 5,000+ solar panels at the Dunstable fulfilment centre will help Amazon drive towards its goal to be powered by 100% renewable energy by 2025 as part of The Climate Pledge.

Andrew followed the journey of a parcel to see first-hand what happens when a customer clicks ‘buy’ on the Amazon website. He took part in several activities during the parcel’s journey, including picking and packing products before it was shipped for delivery to a customer.

The fulfilment centre tour, led by General Manager Omer Kartal, also provided the MP with an insight into the many career development programmes and opportunities for employees at Amazon. He also learned about the many community organisations supported by the fulfilment centre locally. Charitable organisations that have received donations over the last 12 months include Luton and Dunstable Hospital, Keech Hospice and Stepping Stones.

Speaking after his tour he said: “It was fantastic to see these 5,384 solar panels on the roof of Amazon in Dunstable. The installation provides all the power for the fulfilment centre employing 1800 people and in addition provides power back to the grid. The 1.45 MWh of electricity produced is a tremendous contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and I hope that many more businesses and householders who are able to, will follow their example.”

Amazon Dunstable General Manager, Omer Kartal, added: “We’re always pleased to welcome guests to our fulfilment centre and the team and I really enjoyed hosting Andrew Selous MP for this visit. I hope Andrew learned something new during the behind-the-scenes tour and we look forward to welcoming him back for another visit in the future.”

Anyone can find out more about what it’s like to work at an Amazon fulfilment centre by signing up for a virtual tour at uk.amazonfctours.com/virtualtours