Australia's Macquarie Group has announced plans to invest GBP 20 billion (USD 26.1 billion/EUR 23.8 billion) in UK infrastructure, focusing on energy, utilities, transport, waste, and digital infrastructure. The investment, revealed during the UK's International Investment Summit, includes funding for 5 GW of new offshore wind projects, solar power, battery energy storage, and electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure.
The offshore wind investments will target developments off the coasts of Orkney and Lincolnshire, while solar investments include the UK's largest new solar project in Nottinghamshire, spearheaded by Island Green Power. Additionally, Macquarie's motorway service operator, Roadchef, plans to install around 650 fast-charging EV points across its sites, partially powered by 9 MW of new on-site solar capacity.
Macquarie will also back high-growth UK companies in fields like utilities connections, wind farm performance analytics, and smart metering, with operations based in cities such as Glasgow, Nottingham, and Watford. Investments in digital infrastructure will support rural communities from Somerset to Cumbria, while housing development will focus on cities like Edinburgh and Birmingham.
In the water sector, Macquarie plans to finance the construction of the UK's first reservoir in three decades and upgrade essential water and wastewater infrastructure in Southeast England. This announcement follows the UK's recent commitment to over GBP 24 billion in private investment for clean energy, with Macquarie contributing GBP 1.3 billion for green infrastructure.
