Maritime Transport is developing plans for the facility on Anzani Avenue in Felixstowe, after receiving an initial £50,000 contribution from Freeport East towards preparatory work. The proposed site would provide up to 6MW of high-speed charging capacity for electric HGVs, as well as buses and other heavy vehicles.
Crucially, the facility is intended to operate on an open-access basis, meaning charging would not be restricted to Maritime Transport’s own fleet. That could make the site relevant to a much wider group of hauliers serving Felixstowe, which handles thousands of HGV movements every day.
Funding will support planning work
The £50,000 contribution is not construction funding for the charging hub itself. According to Freeport East, the money will support early technical and planning work ahead of a potential planning application to East Suffolk Council. Further financial support could follow as the project develops.
Maritime Transport said the funding would allow it to examine in greater detail what a full-scale charging facility at the site could look like. The project remains at an early stage, and planning permission and final investment approval have not yet been secured. If the necessary approvals are obtained, the hub could become operational in 2028.
Charging infrastructure around ports
The proposed development comes as the road-freight industry faces growing pressure to establish charging infrastructure capable of supporting battery-electric HGVs on major freight corridors. Ports are expected to play an important role because of the concentration of commercial vehicle movements around container terminals and distribution centres.
Felixstowe is one of the UK’s most important freight gateways, with more than 5,000 HGV movements a day, according to figures cited in the project announcement. Freeport East said the proposed charging hub forms part of its wider ambitions to develop lower-emission freight corridors around Felixstowe and the surrounding logistics cluster.
Maritime Transport has already been expanding its electric HGV operations under its Maritime ZERO programme and developing charging infrastructure at a number of its own locations. The Felixstowe proposal, however, would differ from private depot charging because other operators would also be able to use the infrastructure.
Tom Williams, deputy chief executive officer at Maritime Transport, said the funding represented another step towards assessing the feasibility of a full-scale charging hub serving heavy commercial vehicles at the port. The proposal will now move through further technical development and the planning process before a final decision is made on construction.
