The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing a loan of up to RON 182.8 million (€36 million) to NewCold Romania SRL to support the development of the company’s first high-automation cold storage warehouse. This project represents a major expansion of NewCold’s innovative logistics network in Central and Eastern Europe, following the completion of two projects in Poland last year.
The financing will cover the construction of an automated warehouse and an adjacent manual warehouse in Bucharest. EBRD is co-financing the project with Banca Comercială Română (BCR), which will also contribute RON 182.8 million. These two phases form part of a larger project expected to receive up to RON 695.6 million from the two banks, with EBRD lending benefiting from a partial EU guarantee under the InvestEU Framework for Sustainable Transition.
Vlaho Kojakovic, EBRD Director for Real Estate, highlighted that the investment will bring advanced automated and energy-efficient logistics infrastructure to Romania. The project is expected to sharply reduce energy use and emissions, enhance supply chain resilience, and set higher industry standards, exemplifying EBRD’s commitment to green and competitive transformations.
NewCold, the world’s third-largest refrigerated food logistics provider, operates 26 highly automated and energy-efficient warehouses across three continents with a combined capacity of over 2 million pallet positions. Supported by proprietary technology and a global team of over 3,000 employees, NewCold delivers end-to-end temperature-controlled supply chain solutions to leading food companies.
The new Bucharest facility will introduce Romania to a fully automated and resource-efficient logistics model, expected to reduce energy intensity by approximately 50% compared with conventional cold storage facilities of similar size. The warehouse’s automation and optimization systems will also contribute to significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, aligning with Romania’s climate and sustainable energy objectives.
InvestEU, a flagship initiative of the European Union, supports strategic investments in sustainable infrastructure, innovation, digitalization, small and medium-sized businesses, and social development. By providing guarantee mechanisms, InvestEU enables financing for projects that promote long-term growth and resilience. The EBRD, as a key implementing partner of InvestEU, channels these guarantees through direct lending and risk-sharing instruments across its EU operations.
The EBRD has a strong track record in Romania, investing over €12.3 billion in 584 projects to advance green, competitive, and private-sector growth. The NewCold Bucharest warehouse exemplifies this commitment by combining advanced automation, energy efficiency, and environmental sustainability in the country’s logistics sector.
