UK to build £100m electric and hydrogen fuel stations
Construction will soon commence for the UK’s first multi-energy recharging and refuelling facilities for commercial vehicles.
The network of hubs will meet the needs of all truck and van operators transitioning to cleaner fuels, including electric, HVO, hydrogen and bio-CNG.
The site will be operated by Aegis Energy, having secured an investment of £100 million from Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, a specialist global investment manager.
An initial five-station network is expected to be completed by the end of 2027, with stations planned in Sheffield, Immingham, Warrington, Corby and Towcester.
Aegis Energy said it has secured sizeable grid connections in over five locations, and will begin construction on the first of these stations in 2025, scheduled to open in early 2026.
The company plans to create a broader network of up to 30 hubs by the end of the decade.
It’s claimed each hub will have the approximate capacity to charge/refuel more than 40 HGVs and 25 vans simultaneously.
The hubs will also provide secure truck parking and driver facilities including toilets, showers, and food services.
Christopher Thorneycroft-Smith, co-founder at Aegis Energy, said: “There is growing pressure from regulators and consumers for commercial vehicles to decarbonise, making it a necessity for winning new business and maintaining customer loyalty. Yet the lack of appropriate infrastructure is typically #1 or #2 on the list of barriers for fleet operators.
“Building depot infrastructure can be complex and grid connections are not easy, or cheap, to secure. Not only this, but long-haul operations require a top-up charge, and for van drivers, when at-home charging isn’t a practical solution, they lose time waiting to charge elsewhere.
“Our hubs will typically have capacity to charge/fuel 40+ HGVs and 25+ vans simultaneously. The transition will take time and play out differently for each fleet, but by providing public hubs with multiple clean energy charging and refuelling options, we’re supporting operators to choose how they want to make the transition.”