Welcome
This website introduces you to proposals from Aegis Energy to create a recharging and refuelling hub for low emission HGVs and vans. Our plan is to offer the next generation of low- and zero-carbon emission fuels in Kent, alongside new employment space, in Dartford. Aegis Energy is preparing to submit a planning application for part of the site of the former Littlebrook Power Station. As a result, we are undertaking a programme of public information and consultation. We would welcome your views on the proposals via the Feedback section after viewing the information below.
About us
Based in Wakefield and London, Aegis Energy is a multi-energy infrastructure provider with a mission to decarbonise commercial vehicles. Our mission is to decarbonise the commercial transport sector by building a conveniently located network of clean multi-energy hubs. Our hubs will be up to 8 acres in size, which is the equivalent to approximately 4.5 football pitches.
“Our planned network of energy hubs will support millions of vehicles, and their operators. Dartford is part of our vision to make a once-in-a-multi-generational change, and help commercial vehicle operators switch from fossil fuels to cleaner fuels while improving the lives of local residents by reducing emissions.”
Michael Shaw, Founder and CEO of Aegis Energy.
Each hub will allow for commercial fleets across the UK to move away from diesel and other harmful fossil fuels to cleaner alternatives, such as electric charging and transition fuels.
Our industry-first hubs will do this by providing ultra-rapid electric charging and transition fuel refuelling for HGVs and LCVs. Each hub will be crucial in helping operators transition, as the current, car-focused infrastructure is not fit for purpose for these large commercial vehicles. The transition to low-carbon logistics is an important part of both local and national carbon footprint reduction plans for the wider national climate-change goal to be carbon neutral by 2050.
Dartford would be a vital part of Aegis Energy’s network. It is uniquely located adjacent to the M20 and Dartford Crossing, where we want to serve businesses both in the local area as well as motorway traffic which is increasingly electrifying. Alongside Dartford, we have hubs planned in Sheffield, Warrington, Corby and Immingham — all destinations with heavy HGV traffic.
Aegis Energy's initial five-station hub network will be completed by the end of 2028. The company has secured electricity grid connections in each location and construction of the first hub in Sheffield, M1 J35, is already underway and scheduled to open in Spring 2027. The plan is to create up to 50 hubs by the end of the decade, making the company a leader in low carbon infrastructure and multi-energy sustainable infrastructure.
Our proposals
We are proposing a new ultra-fast charging and refuelling hub at Littlebrook Business Park, supporting the next generation of low- and zero-emission commercial vehicles. The site is just 1.4 miles from the Dartford Crossing which carries around 60,000 lorries, van and other commercial vehicles on an average day, with volumes reaching more than 75,000 on some of the busiest days. Our role at Aegis Energy is to play a part in decarbonising the freight transport sector. Dartford is key to that vision. However, the current lack of appropriate refuelling infrastructure is a major barrier for fleet operators. The proposed hub and employment space for manufacturing, warehousing and logistics near the M25 is perfectly located. The Aegis Energy network of hubs will meet the needs of all truck and van operators transitioning to cleaner fuels. At Dartford, this will include electric and HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil). The small warehousing proposed as part of this development aims to help businesses locate close to the proposed hub and benefit from its facilities, which include a driver welfare building; showers and toilets; hot food and drinks; and safe, secure and clean place for HGVs to park overnight.
Designed to offer high-speed charging or parking for up to 50 vans.
Offering 12 HGV electric charging bays, 12 HGV charging / parking bays, 13 overnight HGV parking bays and 4 HVO refuelling bays.
A driver welfare building, including good food, clean bathrooms and calm spaces, and a truck wash. A security gate, fencing, and state-of-the-art technology to ensure both safety and security on the multi-energy hub.
Up to 4,000m2 of industrial and logistics employment space to strengthen the local economy and make the most of Dartford’s strategic location.
Located close to the Dartford Crossing at a key M25 freight interchange, Dartford was chosen by Aegis Energy as it is a key gateway for freight travelling between London, the Midlands and continental Europe via the Port of Dover and Channel Tunnel. It is the only current motorway-grade crossing of the River Thames east of London, and the Lower Thames Crossing is not scheduled to be open until 2034 at the earliest. The brownfield site is within the Littlebrook Business Park, the location of the former power station and electricity substation, and now home to strategic industrial and distribution operators, including Amazon, Europa Worldwide, IKEA, Sainsbury’s and Wincanton. The proposed hub, which will be similar to the illustrative image pictured of Aegis Energy’s Sheffield site, is located just a few miles from the boundary of the capital’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), where there is even greater incentive for fleets to transition to lower-emission vehicles. We are committed to selling 100% renewable power at all Aegis Energy hubs.
Expected benefits
Reliable recharging and refuelling infrastructure to support local and national businesses.
Significant local investment and new jobs created from construction and operation.
A reduction in local and national CO2 emissions and sulphur levels, leading to an improvement in air quality and better health outcomes.
A biodiversity net gain of 10%, meaning the development will leave nature in a better state than today.
The local perspective
The proposal is focused on reducing carbon emissions and supporting cleaner commercial transport. Many of the health outcomes for Dartford’s residents are strongly influenced by road-based emissions, especially HGV movements on the A282 Dartford Crossing approach.
Electric vehicles do not produce exhaust emissions and transition fuels (such as HVO) are shown to significantly reduce pollutant emissions compared to diesel. The priorities for improving health outcomes include better freight routing, cleaner fleets, anti-idling enforcement – and the Aegis Energy’s proposals make a positive contribution to that.
The proposed Aegis Energy hub at Dartford would reduce carbon equivalent emissions. The exact calculation will be the subject of the Transport Assessment as part of the planning application.
Dartford Borough Council has a clear set of climate priorities. The ‘Planet Dartford’ programme creates a clear local policy context for low-carbon energy, energy efficiency, retrofit, electric vehicle infrastructure and community-scale sustainability projects. The proposed Aegis Energy hub supports the Council’s climate change aspirations.
The Council’s priorities include cleaner transport, electric vehicles, walking, cycling and public transport, which aligns with Aegis Energy’s ability to provide a state-of-the-art EV infrastructure capability specifically designed for vans and HGVs.
The proposed Aegis Energy hub would benefit companies at the Littlebrook Business Park and beyond.
The offer of high-quality commercial warehouse property at Littlebrook, alongside an Aegis Energy hub, combined with the motorway connectivity, creates a compelling place for further businesses to locate to this part of North Kent – and further strengthen the local economy. The development is expected to offer up to 100 full-time jobs.
The proposed delivery of up to 4,000m2 of industrial space on a plot of c.8,000m2 adjacent to the energy hub would also help add employment opportunities to the local area.
The national perspective
An initial five-station hub network will be completed by the end of 2028, as Aegis Energy has secured electricity grid connections in each location, with construction on the first hub underway, scheduled to open in Spring 2027.
Road transport remains one of the UK’s biggest decarbonisation challenges. Once ramped up, an average Aegis Energy hub is expected to reduce carbon equivalent emissions by tens of thousands of tonnes per annum — equivalent to an HGV vehicle driving almost ten million miles.
Heavy goods vehicles generate around 19% of transport emissions and vans a further 18%, despite them representing a much smaller share of vehicles on the road.
To meet the UK’s Net Zero target by 2050, transport emissions need to fall significantly by 2040. The Climate Change Committee expects battery electric vehicles to play the main role in decarbonising heavier vehicles because they are likely to be the most practical and cost-effective option.
The shift to cleaner UK commercial fleets requires a rapid expansion of energy infrastructure. For many operators, installing private depot charging remains difficult due to leased premises, grid capacity limitations, space constraints and large upfront costs.
By developing purpose-built multi-energy hubs for commercial vehicles, Aegis Energy will provide high-capacity charging along major freight corridors and in logistics and distribution parks, enabling fleets to refuel or recharge at our hubs either en route, or in place of depot-based infrastructure, such as Dartford.
There is growing Government regulatory pressure to decarbonise – with sales bans on non-zero emission vans and trucks from 2035-40. At the same time, consumers are demanding more sustainable products and services, making the transition a key strategic priority for brands and logistics operators.
The transition to cleaner transport requires more charging infrastructure. Many operators cannot easily install charging at their depots due to leased premises, limited grid capacity or space constraints. With more than half of van drivers unable to charge at home, demand for public charging hubs for vans and HGVs will continue to grow. Alternative charging solutions will be essential to support the switch to electric vehicles.
The logistics and distribution industry is on its own journey to improve its environmental performance. To achieve that, it needs to decarbonise its commercial warehouses and depots as well as freight transport operations. The network of hubs will meet the needs of all truck and van operators transitioning to cleaner fuels, including electric and HVO. The proposed Aegis Energy hub supports that journey.
The application also includes plans for a single or multiple smaller energy efficient buildings of up to 4,000m2 that offers space for the logistics and distribution industry, adjacent to the Aegis Energy clean energy hub.
Quinbrook has committed their initial investment to kick off the construction of the UK’s first clean, multi-energy recharging and refuelling network for commercial vehicles.
We are building first-of-its-kind public infrastructure. Aegis Energy will deliver an essential missing piece that enables the next wave of low- and zero-emission trucks and vans to hit UK roads and drive forward the clean energy transition. Aegis Energy is actively looking to partner with more fleet operators across the UK to enable them to undertake the transition to low and zero emissions vehicles.
Decarbonising the freight transport industry depends on having the right infrastructure in the right place. Dartford is one of the most strategically important freight links in the country and our hub will be a perfect location from which to meet operator demand.
Every day, thousands of vans and HGVs pass through this corridor moving goods in and out of London and around the M25, connecting the South East with the Midlands and north of England and via the Channel ports to continental Europe.
If the country wants fleet operators to switch to cleaner vehicles at scale, the infrastructure needs to sit exactly where those journeys happen. Delivering this infrastructure on this former power station site in North Kent allows us to do just that, placing reliable charging and low-carbon fuels close to the busiest logistics routes in the country. It also sits within an existing industrial estate which is home to many businesses and logistics operators which are already using or will be transitioning to low and zero carbon fuels.
Timetable
Aegis Energy has committed to working with the local community, council, businesses and stakeholders throughout the planning process. A planning application will be submitted to Dartford Borough Council in 2026. The hybrid application would be presented in detail for the Aegis Energy Clean energy hub, with the proposals for up to 4,000m2 industrial employment space coming forward in outline, with a detailed reserved matters application to be submitted at a later date.
Feedback
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts on our proposals. This consultation has now closed.
The comments you made will be shared with the project team. If you gave us your feedback and left your contact information, we will keep you updated about the Dartford project and any future planning submissions associated with this project.
