The EV charging hub at the Port of Tilbury has officially opened, supported by £1 million from the Thames Freeport Seed Capital Programme. The 5MW shared-user facility marks a significant step forward in commercial fleet electrification at one of the UK’s busiest freight gateways.
With more than 10,000 vehicle movements passing through Tilbury each day, freight activity operates at national scale. That activity drives economic value across London and the South East, but it also concentrates emissions and operational pressure in one location. If heavy freight is to decarbonise at pace, infrastructure must be delivered where demand is greatest.
Unlocking Investment to Deliver at Scale
Thames Freeport committed £1 million of targeted seed capital funding in 2023 to help bring the project forward. That early intervention reduced risk at a critical stage and unlocked significantly larger private investment from Fleete and its delivery partners.
Our funding supported the grid connection, high-voltage infrastructure, transformers and civil works required to install rapid charging equipment within a live port environment.
Stuart Rimmer, Chief Executive of Thames Freeport, said:
“We invested £1 million of Freeport seed funding to help get this moving and unlock private investment. That’s our role, to help projects move from plan to delivery here in Thurrock.”
By stepping in early, Thames Freeport helped ensure the project progressed at pace and at the scale required to support long-term freight electrification.
This is the model Thames Freeport was designed to deliver: early intervention that accelerates commercially viable infrastructure.
A Shared-User Model for Commercial Fleets
Rather than multiple operators installing fragmented private charging infrastructure, the project has delivered a single shared-user facility accessible to port tenants and passing hauliers alike.
The hub offers both pre-booked and on-demand access, giving fleet operators confidence that capacity will be available when required. This model makes more efficient use of limited land within the port and spreads infrastructure costs across multiple users, lowering barriers to adoption for smaller operators.
Located along the A13 corridor and supporting freight linked to the proposed Lower Thames Crossing, the facility strengthens Tilbury’s position as a competitive and future-ready logistics gateway.
Supporting Cleaner Freight and Regional Growth
Heavy goods vehicles represent a relatively small proportion of vehicles on UK roads, yet they account for a disproportionate share of freight emissions. At high-throughput locations such as Tilbury, the local impact of freight activity is particularly concentrated.
As electric vehicles begin to replace diesel fleets, emissions will reduce over time and air quality is expected to improve along key freight routes.
At the same time, the project reinforces the port’s long-term competitiveness. By delivering modern infrastructure that supports fleet electrification, Tilbury remains well placed to attract further investment in sustainable logistics.
The hub also forms part of Thames Freeport’s wider programme of delivery across Barking & Dagenham, Havering and Thurrock. Since designation in 2021, Thames Freeport has helped unlock over £2 billion in investment and support close to 1,400 jobs across its sites, combining tax incentives and seed capital to accelerate growth in clean energy, advanced manufacturing and sustainable logistics.
From Plan to Operation
The Port of Tilbury EV Charging Hub shows how targeted public funding can unlock private investment and deliver infrastructure that strengthens the local economy.
As freight electrification accelerates nationally, projects like this provide visible evidence that coordinated, place-based investment can help turn ambition into delivery.
