Aquila Capital delivers its first logistics building in Azambuja to Portugal’s Sonae MC

• The first Green Logistics by Aquila Capital building in Portugal will be occupied by MC, Sonae’s food retail company

• This building, constructed in one of Portugal’s main logistics hubs, will be BREEAM certified and adhere to strict energy efficiency and sustainability standards

Aquila Capital’s first building of its Rainha Green Logistics Park in Azambuja has been formally delivered to Sonae MC. It represents Green Logistics by Aquila Capital’s first investment in Portugal and will form part of the Aquila Capital Southern European Logistics Fund.

The Rainha Green Logistics Park is located in one of Portugal’s logistics epicentres, 40 km north of Lisbon. Access to the A1 and A10 motorways is less than 8 km away, and the railway station of Vila Nova da Rainha is close by. A two-building logistics complex and associated urbanisation works have been funded by an investment of around 100 million euros.

Green Logistics by Aquila Capital has also handed over ownership of a large part of the urbanisation works developed as part of the project to the Azambuja municipality. These works include a car park with a capacity for 353 light vehicles and 51 heavy vehicles, improvements to an existing access road and a new access road or direct pedestrian access to the Vila Nova da Rainha railway station.

During the construction phase of this logistics project, considered to be of public interest by the municipality of Azambuja, over 300 jobs were generated. It is expected that the operations phase will create more than 350 direct jobs.

This logistics complex of 112,000 m², meets the most demanding efficiency and sustainability standards, to ensure the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions and the achievement of BREEAM certification, a world standard in sustainability. The project will include the installation of photovoltaic panels on the roof of one of the buildings and incorporate a water retention basin, to promote the natural drainage of rainwater without the need for a connection to the network. The construction work is being carried out by GSE, a company that also works with Aquila Capital’s Green Logistics projects in other countries.

“The delivery of our first project in Portugal marks a very important milestone for Green Logistics by Aquila Capital and we couldn’t be happier than to be working hand in hand with Sonae. We hope this will be the first of many Green Logistics projects we carry out in Portugal“, says Jens Hoeper, Team Head Investment Management Logistics at Aquila Capital.

According to Rui Braz, Director of Logistics Development at MC: “We believe that with this new warehouse in Azambuja we will strengthen our leadership position and be better able to respond to our customers, suppliers and employees. With this new building we have managed to improve the working conditions of our team, as well as increase the energy efficiency and environmental sustainability of our operations“.