Fleete has begun constructing a rapid electric vehicle (EV) charging hub for commercial vehicles, at the Port of Tilbury.
Charging will be available to both HGVs and commercial vehicle fleets operating in the port, or passing through the area.
The hub will include 12 ultra-fast 360kW chargers, each of which will be optimised for HGV use, and four chargers provided by a Voltempo HyperCharging Megawatt Charging System, which will be funded though the eFREIGHT 2030 project.
Minister for Local Growth and Building Safety Alex Norris said: “I am incredibly pleased to see the progress Fleete has made with the help of £1 million of capital funding from the Freeports programme.
“The new hub marks an important step forward for Thames Freeport’s vision of becoming a leader in green transport, and it will help us deliver on our Plan for Change by securing economic growth and opportunities in the region for years to come.”
Tilbury is the largest of the Thames ports, and sees between 3,000 and 6,000 HGVs pass through each day.
Fleete targets a December 2025 completion time for the charging hub.
Chris Morrison, chief investment officer at Fleete, said: “We are delighted to begin work on the first of our network of shared electric HGV Charging Hubs throughout the UK, starting with our 5MW project at Tilbury which is expected to be the largest of its kind in the UK once fully operational.
“Our close collaboration with the Port of Tilbury, along with significant funding from Thames Freeport, is a testament to their commitment to accelerating the shift to zero-emission fleets with this critical infrastructure development.
“This investment is a crucial step in building a net-zero logistics ecosystem and ensuring that the businesses in and around the Port of Tilbury have the resources they need to transition to cleaner transport alternatives.”
