Quinbrook to join Future Cities Forum's infrastructure discussion event next month
Image: courtesy of Quinbrook/Aegis
Future Cities Forum is delighted that Global Head of Sustainability at Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, Hilkka Komulainen, will be contributing to our infrastructure discussions next month at the City of London offices of international law firm, DLA Piper. Quinbrook is a specialist global investment manager focused on low carbon and renewable energy infrastructure.
Hilkka is based in London and serves on the Quinbrook Investment Committee, driving the next phase of the firm’s well established commitment to impactful investment strategies.
She joined Quinbrook from Aegon UK, one of the UK’s largest Defined Contribution pension providers, where she established and led the responsible investment team, overseeing Aegon’s climate and stewardship efforts, leading Aegon’s efforts to invest in the energy transition and serving on Aegon’s investment leadership team. Prior to Aegon she led the responsible investment strategy at Inter Fund Management, part of the Interogo Foundation/IKEA, and also previously held roles at EY, the OECD, the United Nations, and the Principles for Responsible Investment where she established a pioneering industry C-Suite Advisory Committee to guide ESG best practice in infrastructure investing.
Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners recently announced a phased investment of up to £100 million in Aegis Energy. This investment underwrites the construction of the first clean, multi-energy recharging and refuelling sites for commercial vehicles in the UK.
It states:
'Aegis’ plans for a network of hubs aims to meet the needs of all truck and van operators transitioning to cleaner fuels, including electric, HVO, hydrogen and bio-CNG.
'Transport is the highest emitting sector in the UK, accounting for 29 percent 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.
'By building this first-of-its-kind infrastructure solution, 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 progress the clean energy transition. Aegis Energy is actively looking to partner with more fleet operators across the UK to help them navigate the transition.
'Christopher Thorneycroft-Smith, Co-founder at Aegis Energy, commented, “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. The transition will take time and play out differently for each fleet, but by providing public hubs with multiple clean energy charging and refuelling options, we’re supporting operators to choose how they want to make the transition. Quinbrook’s funding will help us ensure that critical energy infrastructure is reliably available where our customers need it, and support millions of vehicles to make a once-in-a-multi-generational change.”
'An initial five-station network is planned to be completed by the end of 2027, with stations under development in Sheffield, Immingham, Warrington, Corby and Towcester. Aegis Energy will begin construction on the first of these stations this year, which is scheduled to open in early 2026 and Aegis Energy plans to create a broader network of up to 30 hubs by the end of the decade.
'Each hub will have the capacity to charge/fuel approximately 40+ heavy goods vehicles and 25+ vans simultaneously. 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 the firm’s inaugural investment in sustainable transport, complementing the firm’s extensive portfolio of energy transition focused investments across the UK, US and Australia.'
Below: Hilkka Komulainen of Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners
