Maritime Transport Ltd. in the UK is participating in the zero emission HGV and infrastructure demonstrator (ZERFD), a ground-breaking £200 million investment programme aimed at supporting the freight sector on its path to Net Zero.

The programme, one of the largest funded initiatives by Innovate UK in partnership with the Department for Transport, will see investment across four green projects to roll out up to 370 zero emission heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), and deliver around 57 refuelling and electric charging sites.

Over the next five years, each project will see real-world trials take place for advanced battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell technologies in HGVs, providing key insights for the government's long-term infrastructure decisions to make road freight more sustainable and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Taking part in three out of the four pioneering projects, Maritime will integrate 41 battery electric and two hydrogen fuel cell trucks onto its fleet from 2025, sourced from major vehicle manufacturers. 39 charging stations, capable of delivering up to 400kWh, will also be installed across the Company’s network comprising 40+ transport depots, container storage sites, and eight strategic rail freight terminals. The new vehicles will have a significant role to play in Maritime’s environmental strategy to move more containerised and domestic product by rail, with battery and hydrogen-powered trucks completing first and final-mile deliveries, not only reducing emissions but also, importantly, reducing congestion by removing vehicles from the UK’s road network.

Photo: Maritime Multimodal