Falmouth Harbour’s on-going drive toward sustainability and overall excellence has led to shortlisting in two out of four eligible categories in the 2025 British Ports Association (BPA) Awards.
The awards celebrate performance, outstanding leadership and exceptional contributions to the UK maritime industry, chosen among the BPA’s network of 408 ports – which handle 86 per cent of all UK port traffic.
Within the last year Falmouth Harbour celebrated the arrival of its new £1.6M state-of-the-art pilot boat Atlantic – one of the biggest investments by the Trust Port for almost 20 years and which, like workboats across the Harbour fleet, now runs on the greener, renewable fuel Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO).
Falmouth Harbour CEO Miles Carden says, “To be shortlisted in not one but two categories is already a massive achievement of which we are all really proud. We’ve been recognised as a leading small harbour in terms of modernising operations, driving innovation and making adaptions to address environmental challenges.
“We work hard to do incredible things with very limited resources in very challenging financial circumstance, both as an organisation and the markets we work in. My thanks for everyone in my team at Falmouth Harbour and all the fantastic external partners we work with – I am so pleased that this hard work by so many is recognised.”
As well as taking charge of Atlantic and investing in an HVO refuelling facility, the harbour has seen its FaBTest testing site for renewable energy projects in Falmouth Bay on a roll with two recent demonstrator tests just completed.
The Harbour has worked with partners to secure and deliver international, national and local events aimed at benefitting the whole community, including the first two prestigious Richard Mille Cups and Falmouth Classics (one of the largest classic regattas in the UK).
The Harbour has also successfully installed a large, protected swimming and watersports area off Gyllyngvase Beach where larger powered vessels are excluded.
Environment Manager Vicki Spooner’s partnership initiatives include protecting around 30 hectares of seagrass with the Ocean Conservation Trust, enhancing wildlife habitats in collaboration with varied local and national organisations, tackling microfibre pollution with Cleaner Seas and providing marina charging facilities for electric vessels with Aqua Super Power.
“It’s a real boost for our Harbour teams to be nominated in these awards and it really helps amplify what we have achieved in partnership with so many other organisations and our local community,” says Vicki.
“It also helps generate more of the opportunities and conversations necessary to do the essential work to reduce our combined environmental impacts and restore our natural environment.”
Falmouth Harbour operates an area from Black Head to the Dodman including Falmouth Bay, the Carrick Roads and the River Fal. It also provides pilotage services to APCL group for Falmouth Docks and Cornwall Council’s Cornwall Harbours for the Ports of Penryn and Truro.
Hard work across the entire area by Falmouth Harbour teams sees them shortlisted in 2 categories at the British Ports Association Awards: the Port Sustainability Award 2025 and the SME Port of the Year Award 2025. British Ports says that each finalist has been recognised for their outstanding contributions to the UK maritime industry – with the overall winners announced at the BPA Conference Dinner on 16 October.
