MINISTER OF ECONOMY VISITS SONAE MC’S DISTRIBUTION CENTRE IN AZAMBUJA
The Minister of Economy and Digital Transition, Pedro Siza Vieira, visited the Sonae MC Distribution Centre building today, the largest refrigerated warehouse in Portugal and which results from the company’s investment, in the expansion of its distribution centres - Azambuja and Maia -, of approximately 50 million euros, between structure and equipment.
With a volume of 235 thousand m3, the largest refrigerated warehouse in Portugal created over 300 new jobs and increased both the capacity and speed to supply Continente’s stores in the Centre and South region of Mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores. More than 9000 pallets of products are shipped daily to supply Continente stores.
The new Distribution Centre, inaugurated on October 14th, by the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, was all built with sustainable concerns, from design to maintenance, to construction and operation, allowing for the international LEED Gold certification (Leadership In Energy & Environmental Design) by the United States Green Building Council, one of the world’s most recognized certification bodies for Sustainable Real Estate Projects.
The building is equipped with innovative, more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly refrigeration and insulation systems. The joint delivery of fresh products allows for 20% less deliveries to stores, translating into a reduction of 1,400,000 km travelled per year, and the equivalent to a savings of 1,100 tonnes of CO2 per year.
The building’s design also includes the necessary conditions for the implementation of automated systems that could become a reality in the very near future.
With 6,900 solar panels, a power of 3MWp and an annual production of 4GWh, Sonae MC, through Elegone Energia, ensures 30% of the Azambuja’s photovoltaic plant’s power. With an area of 20 thousand m2, this is one of the largest coverage self-consumption power plants in the Iberian Peninsula and annually avoids the production of more than 1000 tonnes of CO2.
The project to expand Azambuja’s Distribution Centre also includes the integration of the new Fish Centre, which will now host the entire operation that used to be in Santarém and thus increases the supply capacity. It also incorporates the new refrigerated fish preparation and packaging unit (including salted cod), concentrating the shipment of fresh products to Continente stores in the south of the country from the same location, collecting fresh products in the early hours and delivering orders to stores within 24 hours.
Over the last 10 years, Sonae MC’s turnover has grown at a rate of 5% per year, as a result of increased sales in current stores and expansion through the opening of new stores.
Sonae MC currently has more than 1,000 stores in Continente, Continente Modelo, Continente Bom Dia, Continente Online, Meu Super, Go Natural, Bagga and other adjacent formats. Sonae MC’s Logistics consists of 5 distribution centres, with an area of 200,000 m2 and employing 2,500 employees. 300 million crates circulate annually, which are delivered to around 1300 stores in Portugal.
With a volume of 235 thousand m3, the largest refrigerated warehouse in Portugal created over 300 new jobs and increased both the capacity and speed to supply Continente’s stores in the Centre and South region of Mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores. More than 9000 pallets of products are shipped daily to supply Continente stores.
The new Distribution Centre, inaugurated on October 14th, by the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, was all built with sustainable concerns, from design to maintenance, to construction and operation, allowing for the international LEED Gold certification (Leadership In Energy & Environmental Design) by the United States Green Building Council, one of the world’s most recognized certification bodies for Sustainable Real Estate Projects.
The building is equipped with innovative, more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly refrigeration and insulation systems. The joint delivery of fresh products allows for 20% less deliveries to stores, translating into a reduction of 1,400,000 km travelled per year, and the equivalent to a savings of 1,100 tonnes of CO2 per year.
The building’s design also includes the necessary conditions for the implementation of automated systems that could become a reality in the very near future.
With 6,900 solar panels, a power of 3MWp and an annual production of 4GWh, Sonae MC, through Elegone Energia, ensures 30% of the Azambuja’s photovoltaic plant’s power. With an area of 20 thousand m2, this is one of the largest coverage self-consumption power plants in the Iberian Peninsula and annually avoids the production of more than 1000 tonnes of CO2.
The project to expand Azambuja’s Distribution Centre also includes the integration of the new Fish Centre, which will now host the entire operation that used to be in Santarém and thus increases the supply capacity. It also incorporates the new refrigerated fish preparation and packaging unit (including salted cod), concentrating the shipment of fresh products to Continente stores in the south of the country from the same location, collecting fresh products in the early hours and delivering orders to stores within 24 hours.
Over the last 10 years, Sonae MC’s turnover has grown at a rate of 5% per year, as a result of increased sales in current stores and expansion through the opening of new stores.
Sonae MC currently has more than 1,000 stores in Continente, Continente Modelo, Continente Bom Dia, Continente Online, Meu Super, Go Natural, Bagga and other adjacent formats. Sonae MC’s Logistics consists of 5 distribution centres, with an area of 200,000 m2 and employing 2,500 employees. 300 million crates circulate annually, which are delivered to around 1300 stores in Portugal.