Speaking exclusively to Freight Carbon Zero, Relode, a new energy infrastructure company, has unveiled its ambitious plans to build a nationwide network of gigawatt-scale Power Parks.
The planned Relode power parks are specifically designed to provide the power required to support businesses, particularly HGV operators, as they transition to electric fleets. Relode’s innovative approach, which includes creating large-scale truck charging hubs, aims to tackle one of the critical challenges in the decarbonisation of freight: ensuring sufficient infrastructure for electric trucks.
Relode, founded by a team of seasoned electricity infrastructure experts—including several former members of Pivot Power (the first company to ever plug big batteries straight into the transmission network)—plans to connect its Power Parks directly to the UK’s national transmission grid. By bypassing local distribution networks, which are often constrained, these parks will offer large-scale power connections to various industries, including freight, shipping, and data centres.
According to Nicole Johnstone, Head of Marketing at Relode, the parks will be strategically located at critical transportation hubs where the demand for power will be highest, such as ports and major transport corridors across the country.
The core feature of each Power Park will be a large HGV charging hub, designed to support fleets of electric trucks. The initial phase will see 15 Power Parks developed, with the first expected to go live by 2030. Each charging hub is set to accommodate over 50 electric trucks simultaneously.
“We know there are only a few hundred electric heavy trucks on UK roads right now, but the electrification of fleets will scale dramatically over the next decade. That’s why it’s crucial to start building the infrastructure today so it’s ready when the demand ramps up,” said Johnstone. She emphasised that planning now for the expected doubling of the UK’s electricity demand by 2050 is essential to ensure the country meets its net-zero targets.
In addition to HGV charging, Relode’s Power Parks will offer companies a “plug-and-play” solution for their power needs. This approach will eliminate the need for businesses to navigate the complex process of securing grid connections independently—a process that can take years. For many operators, particularly smaller firms or those that don’t own their depots, investing in private charging infrastructure isn’t viable at scale. Relode’s shared infrastructure model will address this by providing centralised, high-capacity charging facilities.
Johnstone also highlighted the long-term commercial benefits of Relode’s hubs. By creating large, shared grid connections, the company aims to reduce costs and streamline the electrification process for all businesses involved. In addition, Relode plans to offer stable, competitive pricing for charging, ensuring operators aren’t subject to volatile market fluctuations, much like those experienced in the diesel and petrol markets.
Although the first Power Parks won’t be operational until 2030, Relode is already in talks with various haulage operators and plans to work with industry associations, such as the Road Haulage Association and Logistics UK, to ensure that their solutions align with industry needs. The company is open to collaboration and is eager to engage with operators during the planning stages to fine-tune its offerings.
“We’re keen to engage with haulage and logistics operators to have conversations at an early stage to make sure our Power Parks are in the right place to support their operations,” added Johnstone.
Relode has a map on its website with “indicative locations” of where some of its Power Parks might be located (subject to planning approval) but anticipates adding additional locations over time.
To get in touch with Relode and view the map, visit Relode’s website.
