Bidfood installs Kempower’s overhead charging infrastructure
Bidfood has started electrifying its Slough depot with an overhead charging system from DC fast charging manufacturer Kempower. The UK food wholesaler can now charge electric trucks during loading stops. The equipment takes up no ground space. Kempower’s sales and service partner Erinion carried out the installation. It is the first at a Bidfood site, and two e-trucks currently operate there.
Government targets put pressure on depots
Government policy is pushing operators to act. The UK plans to phase out sales of new non-zero-emission HGVs weighing up to 26 tonnes from 2035. All new HGVs will follow by 2040. Many depots were never designed for charging. Ground-mounted equipment can reduce the space available for vehicles, which may disrupt operations or limit fleet capacity.
How the overhead charging system works
Kempower has supplied four charging bays in the depot’s existing loading docks. This makes the most of the available space and lets trucks charge while they reload. Engineers fitted four Kempower Control Units overhead on a gantry. The Control Unit is a robust charging dispenser built for complex heavy-duty applications. Each one pairs with a Kempower Cable Arm, so drivers can reach the plug from above. The design removes the need for in-ground installations or site redesign.
A single 600 kW Kempower Power Unit feeds all four Control Units dynamically. Each unit can deliver up to 160 kW of fast charging power. Trucks can therefore recharge meaningfully during typical loading windows of between 45 minutes and 2 hours. They need no additional charging stop.
Supporting Bidfood’s decarbonisation goals
Slough is Bidfood’s headquarters and a strategic hub for Greater London and the Thames Valley. The project supports the company’s commitment to reduce its absolute carbon emissions by at least 90% by 2045. Bidfood operates more than 1,200 trucks across the UK.
Gareth Sutcliffe, Kempower’s UK Sales Manager for Commercial Fleets, said: “While the urgency for UK fleets to electrify is real, the practicalities of fitting a depot with charging infrastructure are an industry-wide challenge. Nevertheless, the overhead solution which conserves space and makes use of scheduled loading stops is becoming a tried and tested method that operators like Bidfood can continue to replicate.”
Faye Reeve, Head of Non-Inventory Procurement at Bidcorp UK, the parent company of Bidfood, said: “This installation was an important step in our decarbonisation strategy. We have been exploring the transition of our fleet for some time, but it was important to us that we found infrastructure and a set-up that complemented our operations. Our first charging system is set up so that we can continue to operate in the same way, just as efficiently and profitably as before, and it’s given us a blueprint for the next phases of our electrification plan.”
A modular design built to grow
Erinion, a depot charging specialist within the Scania group, designed and delivered the project. It is also a Kempower sales and service partner. The modular gantry means Bidfood can add bays as demand rises.
Jack Smith, Erinion’s Country Manager for the UK, said: “Operators across the UK are asking the same question: how do we charge our trucks without giving up yard space? Slough shows it can be done within an existing footprint. We designed the gantry as a modular system, so Bidfood can add charging bays as the fleet grows without starting over. We’re looking forward to bringing that experience to more depots across the UK.”
