Qantara Capital, a Swiss investment and consultancy firm, has announced the creation and development of the Grândola Logistics Park - Euro Atlantic (GLPEA), a large green logistics park that aims to boost logistics in Iberia by presenting itself as a key hub to strengthen the so-called EuroAtlantic logistics corridor.
Qantara Capital's investment of several hundred million euros will go towards the development of the new logistics centre, which will occupy an area of 130 hectares and will have a total of 670,000 square metres of construction area for logistics, industry and services; 300,000 square metres for adjacent infrastructure, and 330,000 square metres for green areas. The initiative has just been recognised as a Project of Potential National Interest (PIN) by the CPAI (Portuguese Permanent Commission for Investor Support).
"The Euro-Atlantic corridor is
one of the most important logistical routes
important logistical routes on the continent".
According to the Swiss investor, Iberia is an international logistics hub, a gateway to Europe for goods from both the Americas and Africa, as well as a major producer of goods and services, which makes it a promising location for international logistics projects of this type.
"The Euro-Atlantic corridor is one of the continent's most important logistics routes, providing it with basic supplies and value-added services thanks to a network of industrial and commercial zones stretching from Iberia to Germany. Portugal, as a gateway, has attracted Spanish logistics operators over the last few years, but has now also attracted the attention of international investors," explains Hadrien Fraissinet, CEO of Qantara Capital.
With a private railway station, the GLPEA will function as an intermodal platform and gateway to Europe and the Atlantic. Located in the municipality of Grândola in Portugal, the Park is situated 100 kilometres away from Lisbon and very close to the International Port of Sines, 150 kilometres from the Spanish border.
"Along with the expansion of e-commerce and nearshoring, developments since 2020 have highlighted the strategic importance of the EuroAtlantic trade corridor. The scale, location and modularity of the future GLPEA reflect this new reality," comments Fraissinet.
Sustainable logistics development
One of the main objectives of the GLPEA is to become the most sustainable private logistics facility on the European scene. To achieve this, all buildings in the park will be required to have a green building certificate. It will also promote the opportunity for occupants to implement new certification parameters for sustainable building and ensure the sustainability of their operations.
This sustainability policy will be further reinforced by investment in solar energy (solar panels will be mandatory) and the smart consumption of various resources such as water, which will be reused and will come from an in-house treatment and recycling plant. In addition, the park will promote clean mobility solutions, with charging stations for electric and hydrogen vehicles.
Construction of the LPGEAF is expected to begin in 2023 and its first operations are expected to start in 2024. Over 1,000 new jobs are expected to be created during construction and commissioning.