Macquarie Group has announced plans to invest £20 billion in UK infrastructure, which includes a nationwide rollout of fast-charging EV infrastructure through its portfolio company, Roadchef.
Announced during the UK’s International Investment Summit, the Australian-headquartered financial services group will support Roadchef in installing approximately 650 fast-charging points across most of its motorway service areas.
The upgraded EV charging facilities will be partly powered by 9 MW of new on-site solar energy capacity. Roadchef will also pilot charging solutions for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) at two key motorway locations and develop 100 additional parking bays in preparation for electric HGVs.
Shemara Wikramanayake, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Macquarie Group, 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 Macquarie’s larger £20 billion investment package across its UK portfolio, spanning energy, utilities, transport, waste, and digital infrastructure projects throughout England, Wales, and Scotland.
These planned investments include:
- Developing 5 GW of new offshore wind projects, including sites off the Orkney and Lincolnshire coasts.
- Advancing new solar power and battery energy storage projects, including the UK’s largest new solar project in Nottinghamshire by Island Green Power.
- Supporting investment in the gas transmission network and upgrading distribution networks supplying gas to 11 million homes and businesses across North West England, West Midlands, East Midlands, East of England, and London.
- Upgrading digital infrastructure by bringing ultra-fast full fibre and gigabit wireless broadband to rural communities from Somerset to Cumbria.
- Investing in the creation of new homes, including developments in Edinburgh and Birmingham.
- Supporting the growth of high-potential UK companies in areas such as utilities connections, wind farm performance analytics, and smart metering led from Glasgow, Nottingham, and Watford.
- Backing investment to build the UK’s first reservoir in 30 years, alongside upgrades to essential water and wastewater infrastructure across England’s South East.