Amazon Unveils Japan Fulfilment Hub Featuring Vertical Solar and Low-Carbon Tech

Amazon is preparing to open a new fulfilment centre in Nagoya, Japan, one that takes a serious step toward sustainability. The facility will combine several innovative energy technologies, including low-carbon heating and cooling systems and one of Amazon’s largest solar installations outside the United States.

At the heart of the centre’s design is a geo-exchange system that uses over 200 deep underground boreholes, each reaching more than 300 feet below the surface. Water circulates through these loops, pulling cool air from below ground in the summer and transferring stored heat into the building during the colder months. This system is expected to use around 30% less energy than traditional heating and cooling setups.

Adding to the facility’s energy profile is a major solar rollout. Panels will be installed across the roof, throughout the parking lot, and even vertically along the south-facing exterior walls. This will be the first Amazon facility in the world to feature vertical solar panels. These aren’t just for looks; they’re designed to absorb sunlight during early morning and late afternoon hours when energy generation can be more difficult. They’ll also help keep the building cooler by acting as heat shields.

Together, the solar systems will generate up to 5.5 megawatts of electricity. A battery storage unit with a 2.9 megawatt-hour capacity will store surplus solar energy for use at night or on cloudy days. Amazon expects the site to earn Zero Carbon Certification by the end of 2026, a designation that confirms a building’s emissions—both operational and embodied- are fully neutralised.

Amazon notes that Japan presents some tough conditions for clean energy development. Limited land availability, high electricity costs, and dramatic seasonal temperature swings make traditional renewable solutions more difficult to deploy. At the same time, these challenges also make Japan an ideal testing ground for more advanced and adaptable clean technologies.

This announcement follows a broader push by Amazon in the region. Last year, Amazon Web Services committed to investing $15 billion in Japan by 2027 to grow its cloud infrastructure and support artificial intelligence services.

As demand for AI soars, large companies are under pressure to power data centres more sustainably. Amazon has been exploring a range of solutions, from renewable energy investments to developing small modular nuclear reactors in the US. It’s already the world’s largest corporate buyer of renewable power, according to BloombergNEF.

Across its global operations, which include data centres, offices, supermarkets, and fulfilment hubs. Amazon now matches 100% of its electricity consumption with renewable energy. Globally, the company has backed over 600 wind and solar energy projects, with 230 of those located in Europe.