Logistics real estate is becoming energy infrastructure

How to scale? · Field notes · 3 min read

Warehouses, factories and distribution centres are where electric trucks charge. That puts landlords, developers and investors at the heart of the transition, if they are willing to step up. Field notes from PROVADA 2026.

Charging happens on someone’s property

Real estate, from offices and factories to warehouses, plays a key role in the energy networks that make zero-emission transport possible. Most truck charging will happen at depots and logistics hubs (see why every supply chain organisation needs a Chief Energy Officer). That makes property owners part of the charging network, whether they planned for it or not.

In a workshop with one of the world’s largest logistics service providers and its partners, the message was clear. They see a responsibility, even an opportunity, in offering on-site depot charging. But they can’t do it without shippers and real estate parties on board.

Three takeaways from PROVADA

At PROVADA 2026, a panel with Panattoni, Delta Development, CBRE and Sunrock discussed future-proof logistics: an energy strategy for electrifying logistics real estate. Thanks to Karlijn Elias-Peters for initiating it. My takeaways:

1. Put the operator’s needs first. Start from the operational needs and energy profile of the customer or operator, not from the solution.
2. Get legal and tax support early. But don’t let those questions stop you.
3. Work together on a long-term vision. And stay flexible along the way.

“Put the operator’s energy profile at the centre, not the solution.”

Haijo Kampinga

Time to step up, with new business models

It is time for developers, investors and business-park organisations to step up. Not by hiding behind capex questions, political discussions or lease contracts that are too short, but by coming forward with innovative, participative business models. What that could look like:

• Energy-ready buildings, with grid capacity and charging planned in for tenants’ future fleets.
• Participation behind the meter, where operators, landlords, energy partners and financiers share investment and return on site.
• Lease terms that match the investment horizon of chargers and grid upgrades.
• Shared infrastructure at park level, such as a regional Depot Charging Club where operators share knowledge, bring down costs and make better use of the chargers.

Digital twins can help as well, by making it faster, cheaper and more visual to design energy-sharing business communities. We are exploring this together with Vero Agency and Serendipity.

Who takes the lead?

One question stayed open: who, in practice, takes the lead? Operators and shippers? Project developers? Real estate investors? Engineers? Or the logistics service providers themselves, turning into energy management companies?

The honest answer today is that nobody does by default. That is exactly why coordination, and someone willing to organise it, matters so much.