EIB Signs €100m Loan to Support Sustainable Upgrades Across MC’s Retail Network in Portugal

The financing will support a broad programme aimed at improving energy efficiency, reducing emissions and lowering the overall carbon footprint of MC’s nationwide retail network.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a €100 million loan with Portuguese retail group MC, with a 12-year tenor, to accelerate sustainability investments across approximately 400 retail stores in Portugal.

The financing will support a broad programme aimed at improving energy efficiency, reducing emissions and lowering the overall carbon footprint of MC’s nationwide retail network.

Driving Energy Efficiency and Emissions Reduction

Under the agreement, MC will invest in a range of climate-friendly measures, including the replacement of existing refrigeration systems with more energy-efficient technologies, the installation of photovoltaic solar panels combined with energy storage systems, and the rollout of electric vehicle charging points at supermarket locations.

The programme also includes investments in circular economy solutions, such as reverse vending machines that collect recyclable packaging, and enhanced waste management systems designed to reduce environmental impact across the retail value chain.

Aligning Climate Action With EU Energy Security Goals

The operation directly supports MC’s sustainability strategy and contributes to the EIB’s climate action objectives under the EIB Group Strategic Roadmap 2024–2027 and the Climate Bank Roadmap Phase 2 (2026–2030).

It also forms part of the EIB’s contribution to REPowerEU, the European Union’s flagship programme aimed at strengthening energy security and accelerating the energy transition by reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels.

Supporting Cohesion Alongside the Green Transition

Approximately 75% of the investments financed under the loan will take place in regions where per-capita GDP is below the EU average, ensuring that climate action is combined with economic, social and territorial cohesion.

Promoting cohesion is a cross-cutting policy objective of the EIB, and the operation is designed to ensure that less-developed regions benefit from increased competitiveness, lower energy costs and greener infrastructure.

“By supporting MC’s efforts to modernise its stores with cleaner, more efficient technologies and processes, we are helping to cut emissions, support cohesion and contribute to a more sustainable retail model for the benefit of the Portuguese people,” said Pilar Solano, Director of the EIB’s Corporate Lending Department.

Strengthening a Longstanding Partnership

MC Chief Financial Officer Fernando Van Zeller said the financing would enable the company to advance a comprehensive sustainability-focused investment programme.

“The EIB’s support allows us to advance a programme focused on energy efficiency, renewable energy and circularity across our retail network,” Van Zeller said.

“These initiatives are essential for improving operational performance, lowering emissions and ensuring our stores operate with the highest sustainability standards. This new financing builds on a long-standing and strategic partnership between MC and the EIB, enabling us to accelerate our sustainability roadmap and reinforce our ambition to lead the transition toward a more sustainable and resilient retail model,” he added.

Backed by InvestEU

The €100 million loan strengthens ongoing cooperation between the EIB and MC and follows a €55 million financing agreement signed in 2019, which supported similar sustainability objectives.

The operation is backed by InvestEU, the EU programme designed to mobilise more than €372 billion in additional investment between 2021 and 2027, supporting strategic priorities such as climate action, sustainability and innovation.

EIB officials said the agreement demonstrates how targeted climate finance can support private-sector decarbonisation while delivering broader economic and regional development benefits.