ABP Solent Gateway project wins Best Project award

Associated British Ports (ABP), along with project partners Boskalis Westminster, Knights Brown, and Ramboll, recently won the Best Project Asset Maintenance Award at the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) South East Awards for the ABP Solent Gateway Marine Infrastructure project.

In 2023, ABP acquired Solent Gateway, the operator of Marchwood Military Port, with plans for its development. The landside development, known as Phase 1, has been completed and includes 21 acres of open storage, a new security facility and port entrance, including 60 acres of off-site biodiversity net gain (BNG) within the New Forest.

This project, known as Phase 2, will maintain the Falklands Jetty, ensuring it remains capable of accommodating a wide variety of vessel sizes for at least another 40 years.

Backed by a £17.5 million investment, the scope of works included dredging the berth, constructing two new dolphins, and increasing the load capacity of the existing mooring bollard and fixed fender configurations.

The engineering team at ABP worked with local supply chain partners to tackle the project’s complex challenges, including a strict winter schedule from December to March to minimise the impact on salmon migration and other marine ecosystems.

Preserving the existing infrastructure was crucial to avoid building a new berth. Due to its location, most of the work – such as site investigations, and pile installations – was conducted over water. The project’s complexity earned it the Best Project Asset Maintenance Award for 2025.