Banca Comercială Română (BCR) has granted financing of RON 182.8 million (approx. EUR 36 million) to NewCold Romania SRL, part of the Dutch based NewCold Group, one of the global leaders in automated cold storage solutions. The financing will support the development of Romania’s first fully automated cold storage warehouse, representing an important step in the modernization of the country’s logistics infrastructure and in the introduction of advanced automation and energy-efficient technologies to the Romanian market.

The project is co-financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which participates with an equal amount of RON 182.8 million. The EBRD loan benefits from a partial European Union guarantee under the EBRD InvestEU program for sustainable transition. BCR and the EBRD will make available financing of up to RON 695.6 million for the first two phases of the project and a future expansion.

“This partnership reflects BCR’s commitment to financing and enabling projects that contribute to the modernization of Romania’s logistics and industrial infrastructure. Together with the EBRD, we are pleased to support NewCold in the development of one of Europe’s most advanced automated cold storage platforms, an investment that sets new standards in energy efficiency, digitalization and operational performance. Through its high-bay design, low-emission profile and fully automated systems, the project contributes to the modernization of the food supply chain and to strengthening the competitiveness of the Romanian economy”, said Cătălin Jaloba, Head of Real Estate Finance, BCR.

The warehouse will be located in Ștefăneștii de Jos, Ilfov county, and this new facility will introduce to Romania a fully automated logistics model, designed for efficient resources use and reduced environmental impact. According to estimates, the project will enable:

• Approximately 50% reduction in energy intensity compared to conventional cold storage facilities;
• Significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions;
• Optimization of space and operational flows through integrated digital systems.

Through this investment, NewCold will provide food producers, processors and distributors with access to modern, energy-efficient and fully digitalized logistics infrastructure, facilitating the local business ecosystem development and strengthening Romania’s position as a regional logistics hub in Central and South-Eastern Europe.