Industrial and Logistics Conference 2025: Key Insights

CREDIT: Tony Baggett - stock.adobe.com

This year’s Industrial and Logistics Conference brought together industry experts for a day of keynote sessions, trend analysis and insightful discussions at County Hall, London. The conference underscored the importance of investment strategy, utilities, and infrastructure access, combined with sustainable development.

Key Takeaways

The panel discussions explored how industrial and logistics properties are tackling sustainability challenges, focusing on energy efficiency and off-grid solutions, biodiversity and environmental impact, and legislative and policy changes. A recurring theme was the challenge of planning and accessing utilities, particularly power and water, which remains a dominant issue.

Echoing the results from the recent Future Space Survey by Tritax Big Box and Savills, access to grid connections was highlighted as a critical concern. Beyond energy infrastructure, decarbonising both new and existing buildings was another key topic. Currently, only 5% of warehouse roofs have solar panels as stated by Claire Bottle of the UK Warehousing Association. Uncertainty around government policy is slowing further progress.

Upcoming EPC Legislation and Compliance Risks

A critical issue raised was the looming deadline for EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) legislation in 2027. According to Paul Crosbie of LS Estates, up to 80% of industrial buildings could become non-compliant if they fail to meet the required energy efficiency standards. This would have significant implications for landlords, investors, and occupiers alike.

 Investment & Occupier Trends

The panel discussion of investors discussed the current logistics real-estate market landscape, particularly the timing for investments amid economic fluctuations.

• Land availability and resource constraints remain major considerations.

• The size and design of buildings are increasingly important.

• ESG compliance and the achievement of sustainability certifications such as BREEAM and LEED are a key feature at the due diligence stage.

• Sustainability remains a core factor in real estate decisions, but balancing costs with compliance is paramount.

The session on occupier demand provided insights into how market expectations are evolving. The panel emphasised flexible leasing arrangements and a strong focus on the design for build-to-suit facilities as key factors when appraising new sites.  Sustainability considerations are important factors, although occupiers are reluctant to pay a premium for ESG-compliant buildings.

While ESG factors are increasingly embedded in new developments, occupiers are facing financial pressures such as increasing business rates and employer National Insurance contributions. This makes an ESG premium difficult to justify. As a result, occupiers expect sustainability features to be integrated as standard rather than to incur an added cost.

With new EPC regulations on the horizon and rising occupier expectations, stakeholders must navigate a shifting landscape while maintaining financial viability.

For BasePower, this conference reaffirmed the critical role of a flexible energy strategy for logistics developments to support the transition towards a low-carbon future. To find out more about how BasePower is providing a life-of-site energy strategy for logistics developers and to see examples of our projects, contact Steve Jeffers.

Power Access Remains Critical Concern for Real Estate Developers

This week’s unveiling of the Future Space Survey 2025, the 8th annual real estate study from Savills and Tritax Big Box, provided a fascinating insight into how the UK logistics sector is faring.

Over 300 participants, including developers and investors, took part in the study, revealing that the number one issue for the third consecutive year is concern about accessing the power sites need to be developed and let. 

In parallel, there is growing concern about how warehouses will decarbonize and meet ESG goals, given the thousands of connection points that will be required to charge EVs electric Goods Vehicles (eGVs). This was a key discussion point on the panel, alongside the current low levels of solar PV on warehouse rooftops and uncertainties around government policy.

With waiting lists for grid connections often stretching to around 15 years, location and access to power have never been more critical. This sentiment was echoed by the panellists Claire Bottle, Chief Executive, UK Warehousing Association; Phil Roe, President, Logistics UK;  Gareth Osbourne, Head of Real Estate Solutions (UK&I), DHL, and Dave Travis, Head of Manchester Office, Tritax Big Box Developments.

Guest speaker Rory Stewart, an academic, former politician, and diplomat wrapped up the event with a speech in which he outlined the unpredictability of the current geopolitical landscape and its potential impact on the logistics supply chain, energy, and raw materials.

For advice on grid connections and energy planning contact Steve Jeffers, Director of Business Development, for an initial discussion.

 A recording from the event and the full Future Space Survey report is available here.

BasePower Bolsters Senior Management to Support Expansion Plans

BasePower announces that it has expanded its senior management team, with the appointment of Steven Jeffers into the new role of Director of Business Development.  

Steven has successfully delivered multi-technology energy solutions for the transition to net zero over the last 20 years, including positions as Head of Sales at Siemens, and Strategic Accounts Program Manager at E.On UK. Most recently he was Business Development Director for Infrastructure at Clean Energy Capital, a real estate renewables developer.

Originally a Chartered Accountant (CIMA) with a Hons degree in Accounting and Finance, he was a former Strategic Board member at the Association for Decentralised Energy (ADE) and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (previously AGMA).

The appointment comes as BasePower continues to expand the provision of green electricity at industrial sites across the UK, with 27 carbon reducing projects and over 55MW of Solar PV installed or in development. Steven will use his track record of strategic business growth to make further inroads into the logistics sector and target markets with energy constraints such as Data Centres and other industrial sectors.

George Fowkes, Chief Operating Officer and Co-founder of BasePower said:
”We are delighted to welcome someone of Steven’s calibre onto the BasePower management team. He is well respected in the energy industry with a strong track record of securing ESG projects in UK manufacturing. With his skills and experience he will enable us to quickly ramp up our expansion plans.”

Steven Jeffers said:
“I’ve known George and the BasePower team for several years and have been really impressed at how the business is successfully helping developers and asset owners to solve power capacity constraints with its consultative approach and innovative energy solutions. I am excited to join the team to continue the development of our client relationships and take the company to the next level.”

BasePower Tritax Symmetry Park Biggleswade is Shortlisted for Industry Award

BasePower is proud to announce that the Symmetry Park energy centre at the Tritax logistics park in Biggleswade has been shortlisted for an industry award. The ADE awards recognise and celebrate the people and projects which have developed innovative decentralised energy solutions.

The new Symmetry Park Biggleswade faced significant development challenges. These included poor grid reliability and limited further grid capacity, as the distribution network is weak in this part of the country, and the site was forecast to need more power capacity in its early years than the local distribution network was able to provide.

BasePower created an energy strategy to provide resilient power to the occupiers at the logistics park who include Co-op, Solina, Noatum Logistics and Bond International, and a future pathway to net-zero carbon. The resulting energy centre, designed, procured and managed by BasePower which has been generating since January 2023, and provides a continuous and robust power supply with 99.9% uptime. The scheme is designed to provide the required capacity and resilience at the lowest possible environmental impact, giving the occupiers immediate access to onsite renewable generation via rooftop solar PV, and allowing future access to zero-carbon electricity as further grid capacity becomes available. 

The award winners will be announced at the ADE’s annual gala dinner on 12 June. Find out more.

BasePower Expands Team to Accelerate Green Electricity Projects

BasePower is excited to announce two new appointments as it ramps up the delivery of green electricity projects across UK logistics parks.

Cheren Myers, a Chartered civil engineer with a recent background in EV charging, joins as Commercial Manager, while Jonathon Kerr, formerly of UK PowerNetworks, joins as Project Engineer. 

Cheren's career has spanned large transport civils projects on behalf of Atkins and Jacobs, to the delivery of Electric Vehicle charging points. She will lead the upgrade of BasePower’s commercial operations to ensure the successful transfer of the growing portfolio of projects into full-scale commercial function.

 Prior to joining BasePower, Jonathan Kerr spent 10 years at UK PowerNetworks where he gained extensive working knowledge of different power systems and their design modelling. He was most recently Senior Design Engineer where he developed a new IDNO ICP offering and has also delivered multiple upgrades for green recovery projects.

George Fowkes, Chief Operating Officer, BasePower said:

“Cheren and Jonathon come with a wealth of experience in electrification, both on the commercial and the technical side, and we are lucky to have secured them in a competitive market. We welcome them onto our talented team as we grow the business, making net-zero in occupation a realistic and affordable option for our logistics and industrial customers.”

BasePower appoints Senior Project Manager as it ramps up renewable energy projects

BasePower announces that it has recruited Tony Cutner as Senior Project Manager, to join its rapidly growing engineering team. Tony will support the team in the design, development, procurement and construction of an expanding portfolio of energy projects. 

BasePower has over 20 mixed energy technology and solar PV schemes in operation or development across the UK, including several at new logistics park developments as a result of its partnership with Tritax Symmetry. 

Tony Cutner is a qualified electrical engineer who is highly experienced in delivering complex capital projects. His multidisciplinary background includes research and development, industrial automation, and production in the automotive, utilities, packaging, FMCG and pharmaceutical sectors, and he has worked in Europe, the Middle East and North America during his career.

 Robin Hardy, Project Director at BasePower said:
“Tony’s ability to effectively manage multi-million-pound projects with complex supply chains is equalled by his capacity to handle any challenges with a calm, level-headed approach. His background and can-do attitude are the perfect mix for BasePower as we move into our next phase of development.”

Tony Cutner added:
“I heard that BasePower was well-respected in the energy industry and was delighted when they called. This role will give me the opportunity to work on some innovative renewable energy projects and take them from inception to completion.”

BasePower Delivers Greener Power at New Tritax Symmetry Development

Tom Leeming of Tritax Symmetry, Dan Poulson of BasePower and Rob Pitt of Rolls-Royce

BasePower has entered into its first joint enterprise project with Tritax Symmetry to supply clients at the new Symmetry Park Biggleswade development with uninterrupted greener, cheaper power solutions. Located on a greenfield site where the grid is constrained, the new 2MW energy centre will augment the grid with renewable and resilient generation from a number of sources including rooftop solar PV, batteries and a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant. 

The announcement is one of several joint projects between BasePower and Tritax Symmetry to provide greater resilience, more competitive energy and a pathway to fully net zero carbon in occupation. The project was specified, designed, procured and built by BasePower who will continue to develop energy systems in line with the evolving needs of the tenants.  Principal contractors included the Power Systems division of Rolls-Royce, which installed mtu CHP systems, battery units and standby generators.  Powersystems UK were the principle contractor for the high voltage (HV) electrical infrastructure, working end-to-end on the project.  

Dan Poulson, co-founder at BasePower said: “The need for the creation of alternative energy resources has never been greater and we are proud to have been selected by Tritax Symmetry for this project in Biggleswade along with multiple energy projects on their other sites. Across our business we currently operate ten energy centres in the UK with a further 20 in development. Through their lifecycles we invest to enhance each site to deliver increasing levels of decarbonisation as client requirements evolve.”

Tom Leeming, development director at Tritax Symmetry continued: “One of the priorities our clients have when deciding on a new location for their business is power.  As a responsible developer, we realised the need to supplement and enhance the national grid supply to ensure a continuous, robust and greener alternative power supply for our occupiers. As the energy centre is managed by a separate entity, all maintenance and repairs are delivered cost free with no risk to the occupier. We estimate a saving of between five and ten percent on grid energy bills, and the energy centres are also upgradable if extra power is needed, such as by adding additional PV.”

SMMT Survey Highlights Impact of Rising Energy Costs

In a new survey carried out by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, energy costs are cited as the single biggest concern for the industry, with seven out of ten automotive manufacturers worried about the impact on business operations.

In a CEO Update, Mike Hawes has called for the Government to put longer-term solutions in place in order to assure the viability of the sector. “The government’s timely intervention to cap prices for businesses this winter has temporarily limited further increases, providing vital respite but, when the cap lifts in six months’ time, costs are expected to more than double again, with some manufacturers anticipating even steeper rises – some as high as 500%,” he states.  

BasePower clients with on-site energy generation schemes in the form of CHP, are reusing the heat for other processes around the factory and can rest reassured that their bills are as low as possible. Plus in an energy-critical industry, they have security of supply when the winter is looking riskier than ever.

See our case studies for how we’re helping the Automotive industry save energy and reduce carbon.

Getting to Net Zero: Five Key Things to Consider

Household name brands through to business-to-business companies are increasingly announcing net zero targets, sometimes with very ambitious timescales.  However, while most public debate relates to domestic decarbonisation, the fact is that net zero targets are tough for energy intensive businesses, especially for those that use a great deal of heat.

Putting together a realistic net zero strategy that doesn't just impose a high tax on the business requires some careful thought and planning. Here are BasePower’s five key tips on how to approach a net-zero strategy.

1 . Change what’s under your control

In case we need reminding, Scope 1 emissions are direct fuel use for heat, vehicles and refrigerants. Scope 2 covers indirect emissions from purchased energy, and Scope 3 relates to third party emissions, i.e. emissions from your supply chain and downstream emissions caused by products.

Scope 3 emissions have recently come to prominence as they are usually so much larger than a company’s Scope 1 and 2 emissions. But in truth, you have limited control over your suppliers’ or customers’ emissions. It may be possible to influence Scope 3 emissions through buying or design decisions, but this will be indirect at best. In fact, focusing on Scope 3 emissions should not be a distraction from the hard work of reducing your own emissions.

Fiscal, regulatory and consumer pressure is going to remain on Scope 1 and 2 emissions and there is a strong argument for focusing efforts there.

2. Don’t promise so much that you’ll have to cheat

If going net zero carbon by 2025 sounds too good to be true, that’s because for all but a tiny minority, it is, especially within manufacturing.

Achieving true net zero means reducing consumption while switching fuel and technology. This will take a considerable amount of planning, investment, expertise, and above all time. If your targets are too steep you will be racing to the bottom by doing it all with certificates and getting accusations of greenwash.

At BasePower we are working with our customers to help them set clear, obtainable targets that will last the journey. 

As an example, a food manufacturing site uses a total of 55GWh of combined gas and power per year, emitting 11,000t/y of CO2 using grid averages. Their objective is to get to net zero carbon by 2040. They could achieve this by reducing grid energy consumption by 3GWh p.a. (i.e. by efficiency or zero carbon self-generation), or by reducing their carbon footprint by 600t p.a. (i.e. by grid/fuel decarbonisation and refrigerant switching.) Doing a combination of the two is another option. Some of this will be achieved in later years by general grid electricity and gas decarbonisation, but the individual site-level site is gearing up to invest and do a lot of the decarbonisation work by itself.

Clear and simple metrics like these make it easier to communicate with and engage employees and provide a roadmap to track progress through to 2040. 

2. Don’t rely on Certificates

Reducing carbon by purchasing Energy Attribute Certificates (EAC) is risky. In the UK almost every electricity user pays about 0.4p per unit to support the country’s renewable generators in producing around 40% of the total electricity consumed.

At present one person can pay 0.015p more and claim that their electricity is 100% renewable, at the expense of everyone else's hard work. Thanks to using other people’s subsidy this prices carbon for the claimant at about one tenth of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) price.

These bargain basement claims are at present allowed under the otherwise excellent Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). But they are rightly coming under increasing scrutiny as being not additional, nor fair, nor pricing carbon realistically. If your company relies on these certificates to make carbon claims and they are disallowed as a method of reporting reduced emissions or forced to price fairly in the future, you risk receiving a big bill, embarrassment at a sudden jump in reported emissions, and starting all over again less match-fit than your competitors.  

3. What you invest in makes you stronger

Investment in demand reduction, self-sufficiency and moving away from regulatory risk is always good practice. Your organisation will grow capacity and expertise, become more resilient and develop a lower cost base. The good news is that the current climate of high commodity costs has made investing in heat and power efficiency, desteaming, fuel and refrigerant switching, and even newer technologies such as heat pumps, yield much higher returns than pre-Covid.

Some of BasePower's current desteaming and heat efficiency projects are showing cash-on-cash paybacks of just one year. Which other Capex projects can match that?

4. Act like a winner

BasePower is fortunate that many of the clients we work with are at the forefront of strategic planning when it comes to true emissions reduction. Alongside establishing high-level targets at corporate level, these businesses are taking care to reflect the unique situation and challenges that exist at individual site-level when setting these local targets. Combined with this approach they are prioritising investment to reduce consumption, as this lowers Opex and builds resilience. UK plc could do worse than to follow their lead. 

5. Learning from these industry leaders offers the following recipe for success:

• Concentrate on your Scope 1 and 2 emissions as this is obtainable and financially beneficial

• Focus on Scope 3 where you can create true impact

• Set reduction targets that are realistic, simple to understand and to report on

• Prioritise investment in efficiency, consumption reduction, fuel and refrigerant switching over just increasing Opex through purchasing certificates which have no actual impact on the company’s emissions.  

 We look forward to joining you on the net zero journey.

BasePower Energy Centre in Automotive Sector Shortlisted for Industry Award

Congratulations to the BasePower team on making the final shortlist in the annual industry awards organised by the Association of Decentralised Energy.

The BasePower energy centre at the Plastic Omnium Automotive, Edison Road site in Birmingham was shortlisted by judges in the  “Heat and Efficiency: Operational” category.  The scheme, which has been generating energy since January 2021, was shortlisted for its innovative use of heat, which is provided to the site’s air handling units, paint shops and thermal oil system, an industry first in the automotive sector.

Edison Road is the third energy centre developed and funded by BasePower for Plastic Omnium Automotive in the UK, providing the company with the full benefits of on-site energy generation without having to deploy its own capital or human resources.

 
The ADE said:
“The award’s ceremony is an opportunity for the industry to come together to celebrate the achievements that have enabled communities and businesses to thrive. Each year, the standard of applications increases, and the judges are increasingly impressed by the quality and diversity of projects that are presented to them.”  

 The winners will be announced at the ADE’s annual gala dinner at the Hurlingham Club, London on Wednesday 15th June.  Follow the ADE on LinkedIn to track the winners.