THURROCK Mayor Cllr Sue Shinnick was on hand to lead the formalities at the opening of a new and innovative charging hub at the Port of Tilbury.

Fleete is a company formed in 2022 which aims to transform how transport and logistics firms operate by providing a scalable and cost-effective supply of electricity for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).

Marking a major milestone in the electrification of the country's freight and logistics sector, Fleete has officially opened the UK's largest dedicated commercial vehicle electric charging hub at the port. 

The 5MW facility features 16 ultra-rapid chargers enabling up to 16 electric HGVs to charge simultaneously. This site is the first of a network of shared commercial vehicle charging hubs, designed to accelerate fleet electrification across the UK by providing high-powered charging at strategic logistics locations without the need for costly, time-consuming depot upgrades.

The new hub, delivered in partnership with the Port of Tilbury and Thames Freeport, is supported by £1 million from the UK government's Thames Freeport Seed Capital Programme, with further funding provided by the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) Programme, funded by the Department for Transport in partnership with Innovate UK.

The official opening was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by representatives from Fleete, project partners and fleet customers.

Mayor Cllr Sue Shinnick

Cutting the ribbon, the mayor said: "Today is an important moment for Thurrock and for the wider move towards cleaner freight. It highlights what can be achieved through strong partnership between industry, government and Thames Freeport and reinforces Thurrock's role in adopting practical, forward-looking low carbon solutions."

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The new 5 megawatt (MW) site site has been designed to accommodate additional fleet operators as demand grows.

Speaking at the opening event, Chris Morrison, CEO at Fleete, said: "Today marks a major milestone for Fleete and for the wider logistics sector. From announcing the project last year, to now opening the site, our focus has been on proving that shared, high-capacity charging infrastructure can remove one of the biggest barriers to fleet electrification.

"The Port of Tilbury hub shows what's possible when industry and government work together to deliver infrastructure at scale. By supporting customers and collaborating with partners across the supply chain, we're helping accelerate the transition to zero-emission commercial transport where it's needed most."

Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation Minister Keir Mather said: "This is a significant milestone in our drive to decarbonise road freight, helped by £1million Government investment at the Port of Tilbury site to install EV chargers for HGVs.

From left: Stuart Rimmer, CEO (Interim), Thames Freeport; Mayor Sue Shinnick; Katy Reid, Group Head of Sustainability, Forth Ports Limited; Chris Morrison, CEO, Fleete.

"Road freight is the backbone of our economy, keeping goods moving and businesses growing. By supporting the sector to go electric, we're cutting emissions and backing the industry to thrive long into the future."

Stuart Rimmer, CEO (Interim), Thames Freeport added: "This is exactly the kind of project Thames Freeport was established to support. By using targeted seed capital funding to unlock private investment, we are helping to deliver infrastructure that strengthens the Port of Tilbury and supports its long-term competitiveness.

"For Thurrock and the wider Thames Freeport region, this means cleaner freight operations, modern infrastructure and continued confidence that the area is well placed to attract further investment in sustainable logistics."