Rhenus Fires Up One of Poland's Largest AutoStore Grids in Bolesławiec

Rhenus Warehousing Solutions has launched one of Poland's largest AutoStore installations, a 4,500-square-metre robotic grid inside its 57,000-square-metre logistics centre in Bolesławiec. The system, inaugurated on October 22, 2026, is the second-largest AutoStore installation within the Rhenus Group.

The numbers are substantial. More than 100 autonomous robots operate across the grid-based storage system, which holds nearly 140,000 bins. The installation can accommodate roughly 1.8 million product units and handles more than 38,000 bin presentations per day. For shippers and e-commerce fulfilment clients, that translates into added capacity in a market where picking speed and storage density increasingly decide contract awards.

Rhenus says the new system has already tripled the efficiency of the processes it supports, though the company did not detail how it measures that figure. The installation also uses the largest bins available for AutoStore, which widens the product range the site can handle, including larger items.

Who built it, and how fast?

Element Logic, an automated warehouse solutions provider, implemented the system over an eight-month process. Preparatory work began in late 2025, and the main installation phase ran between March and July 2026. The project also covered system testing and adaptations to the warehouse management system (WMS).

That timeline matters for anyone planning similar retrofits: a grid of this scale went from preparation to go-live in under a year, inside a live 57,000-square-metre facility.

"Implementation of the AutoStore system at our own facility in Bolesławiec marks another milestone in the development of the operations in Poland," said Paweł Nowak, Country Manager of Rhenus Warehousing Solutions Poland. He added that the technology would support higher operational efficiency and the continued development of automated warehouse logistics.

What does it mean for e-commerce capacity?

The Bolesławiec project is part of Rhenus' broader European warehouse automation strategy, built to serve the growing operational requirements of e-commerce customers. The company introduced its first AutoStore installation in the Netherlands in 2018 and has expanded its use of automated warehousing across its European network since.

The new site is designed to lift picking speed and accuracy while increasing storage density and operational scalability — the three levers e-commerce shippers weigh most heavily when choosing a fulfilment partner.

"Our customers expect speed, flexibility and scalability. The AutoStore enables us to meet these expectations while creating a future-ready logistics operation that can continue to grow alongside our customers' businesses," said Ronny Sassen, CEO of Rhenus Contract Logistics.

A distinctive touch: the facility's graphic design draws on the world-renowned Bolesławiec pottery tradition of the region — an unusual flourish in a sector that usually paints everything grey.

Rhenus expects the installation to support the growth of its warehousing activities in Poland while adding capacity to meet changing e-commerce fulfilment requirements. With the group's second-largest AutoStore now live and efficiency already reported at three times pre-automation levels, further automation investment in its European network looks the likely next step.