Macquarie backs nationwide rollout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure as part of £20 billion UK investment plans
15/10/2024
Macquarie Group managing director and CEO, Shemara Wikramanayake, has announced that the Australian-headquartered financial services group will support new investment to roll out a network of fast-charging electric vehicle infrastructure nationwide as part of a wider £20 billion of package of planned investment activity across its UK portfolio.
Announced on the sidelines of the UK’s International Investment Summit, the new investment by Macquarie portfolio company Roadchef, one of Britain’s leading motorway service area operators, will install around 650 fast-charging points across most of its sites in conjunction with partners to support the growing number of motorists adopting electric vehicles (EVs).
The upgraded EV charging facilities will be partly powered by 9 MW of new solar energy capacity installed on-site. Working with partners, Roadchef will also pilot charging solutions for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) at two key locations across the motorway network whilst developing 100 additional parking bays in preparation for electric HGVs.
Wikramanayake said: “The upgrade of Roadchef sites is our latest in a long line of investments in UK infrastructure and we have plans to invest more. We believe that infrastructure investment helps create strong foundations for economic growth, job creation, better services for the public and stronger communities. We are fully invested in the UK’s success and look forward to playing our part in delivering the investment the country needs.”
Roadchef's plans are part of a larger £20 billion investment package across Macquarie’s portfolio of UK infrastructure projects. These investments span energy, utilities, transport, waste, and digital infrastructure and will be made throughout England, Wales, and Scotland.
The planned investments include 5GW of new offshore wind developments, with projects off the coasts of Orkney and Lincolnshire. They also include the development of new solar power and battery energy storage projects, such as the UK’s largest new solar project in Nottinghamshire, led by Island Green Power.
Macquarie also plans to invest in the gas transmission network, which provides energy across Britain, alongside upgrades to distribution networks that supply gas to 11 million homes and businesses in North West England, West Midlands, East Midlands, East of England, and London.
Additional investments will go toward upgrading digital infrastructure, including ultra-fast full fibre and gigabit wireless broadband for rural communities from Somerset to Cumbria.
Macquarie also aims to support the construction of new homes, including developments in Edinburgh and Birmingham, as well as the growth of high-potential UK companies in areas like utility connections, wind farm performance analytics, and smart metering, with operations based in Glasgow, Nottingham, and Watford.
Further plans include funding the UK’s first reservoir in 30 years and upgrading essential water and wastewater infrastructure in the South East of England.
The upgraded EV charging facilities will be partly powered by 9 MW of new solar energy capacity installed on-site. Working with partners, Roadchef will also pilot charging solutions for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) at two key locations across the motorway network whilst developing 100 additional parking bays in preparation for electric HGVs.
Wikramanayake said: “The upgrade of Roadchef sites is our latest in a long line of investments in UK infrastructure and we have plans to invest more. We believe that infrastructure investment helps create strong foundations for economic growth, job creation, better services for the public and stronger communities. We are fully invested in the UK’s success and look forward to playing our part in delivering the investment the country needs.”
Roadchef's plans are part of a larger £20 billion investment package across Macquarie’s portfolio of UK infrastructure projects. These investments span energy, utilities, transport, waste, and digital infrastructure and will be made throughout England, Wales, and Scotland.
The planned investments include 5GW of new offshore wind developments, with projects off the coasts of Orkney and Lincolnshire. They also include the development of new solar power and battery energy storage projects, such as the UK’s largest new solar project in Nottinghamshire, led by Island Green Power.
Macquarie also plans to invest in the gas transmission network, which provides energy across Britain, alongside upgrades to distribution networks that supply gas to 11 million homes and businesses in North West England, West Midlands, East Midlands, East of England, and London.
Additional investments will go toward upgrading digital infrastructure, including ultra-fast full fibre and gigabit wireless broadband for rural communities from Somerset to Cumbria.
Macquarie also aims to support the construction of new homes, including developments in Edinburgh and Birmingham, as well as the growth of high-potential UK companies in areas like utility connections, wind farm performance analytics, and smart metering, with operations based in Glasgow, Nottingham, and Watford.
Further plans include funding the UK’s first reservoir in 30 years and upgrading essential water and wastewater infrastructure in the South East of England.