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The £100 million "clean hub"
Aegis Energy has secured £100 million from specialist global investment outfit Quinbrook to build UK’s first clean, multi-energy refuelling hubs for commercial vehicles.
The investment was announced on and the move is aimed at helping truck and van operators transition to cleaner fuels, including electric, HVO, hydrogen and bio-CNG.
Transport is the highest emitting sector in the UK, accounting for 29% of greenhouse gas emissions, while commercial vehicles contribute 10% of the UK’s total emissions.
There is growing regulatory pressure to decarbonise – with sales bans on non-zero emission vans and trucks from 2035-40 – while consumers are demanding more sustainable products and services, making the transition a key strategic priority for logistics operators.
However, the energy transition demands considerable growth in infrastructure provision. Installing depot infrastructure is often impractical or unscalable, particularly where logistics operators lease their premises or there's a grid constraint.
Meanwhile over half of van drivers (52%) have no access to at-home charging. By building first-of-its-kind public infrastructure, Aegis Energy will deliver an essential missing piece that will enable the next wave of low and zero-emission trucks and vans to hit UK roads and help drive forward the clean energy transition.
Michelle Gardner, Deputy Director – Policy at Logistics UK, said: “The Aegis Energy hub is great news for the logistics industry as fleet operators look to decarbonise their fleets. However, much more needs to be done to give those fleet operators the confidence to invest in EVs.
“Logistics UK would like to see government backing for a dedicated HGV public charging infrastructure for electric trucks, to make mid and long-haul viable, as well as a dedicated HGV public hydrogen refuelling infrastructure.”
Aegis Energy is actively looking to partner with more fleet operators across the UK to help them navigate the transition. Once ramped up, an average Aegis Energy site is expected to reduce carbon equivalent emissions by approximately 14,300 tonnes per annum.
The investment from Quinbrook represents its first foray into sustainable transport, complementing its broad portfolio of net zero transition investments across the UK, US and Australia in areas such as solar and storage, grid support, and power solutions for energy intensive industries.
An initial five-station network will be completed by the end of 2027, with stations planned in Sheffield, Immingham, Warrington, Corby and Towcester.
Aegis Energy 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. Aegis Energy plans to create a broader network of up to 30 hubs by the end of the decade, becoming a leader in low carbon infrastructure and e-mobility.
In addition to bookable high-speed electric charging, Aegis Energy designs its hubs to serve other low carbon fuels including HVO and AdBlue, hydrogen and bio-CNG. Each hub will have the capacity to charge/refuel approximately 40+ HGVs and 25+ vans simultaneously.
The hubs will also provide safe and secure truck parking and driver facilities that include clean toilets and showers, good food and calm spaces. Christopher Thorneycroft-Smith, Co-founder at Aegis Energy, said: “Aegis Energy was founded to help decarbonise the largest contributors to the most emitting sector in the UK.
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. Aegis hubs will typically have capacity to charge/fuel 40+ HGVs and 25+ vans simultaneously.
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Published On: 04/02/2025 10:20:07
