Falmouth Harbour wins British Ports Association SME Port of the Year 2025

Falmouth Harbour wins British Ports Association SME Port of the Year 2025

Falmouth Harbour CEO Miles Carden and Chair of Falmouth Harbour Commissioners Mark Chanter (centre left and right) accept the award for British Port Association SME Port of the Year 2025 from sponsors Port Skills & Safety and Richard Ballantyne, CEO of the BPA (right). Photo – BPA

Falmouth Harbour has been crowned SME Port of the Year 2025 at the national British Port Association awards – recognised as a small harbour punching well above its weight in its on-going drive toward sustainability and all-round excellence.

The awards ceremony was held on 16th October 2025 at the BPA’s Conference Dinner in the Humber – celebrating performance, outstanding leadership and exceptional contributions to the UK maritime industry, chosen among the BPA’s network of 408 ports – which handle 86% of all UK port traffic.

Falmouth Harbour pipped fellow finalists, the Port of Workington and Harwich Haven Authority, for the 2025 SME award recognising small and medium sized port enterprises “which have demonstrated excellence in port management including operational efficiency, stakeholder engagement, development and customer relations.”

Falmouth Harbour CEO Miles Carden says of the win, “It is an incredibly proud moment to accept on behalf of Falmouth Harbour the British Ports Association’s SME Port of the Year 2025.

“This award reflects the dedication of the whole team at the Harbour, our Board of Harbour Commissioners and the many partners who share our vision for a vibrant future for Falmouth Harbour.

“Competing alongside so many excellent ports makes this recognition even more special. The annual Ports Conference, this year held in the Humber, always showcases an incredible industry that it is special to be part of.”

Falmouth Harbour’s win as British Ports Association SME Port of the Year is symbolised in the new state of the art £1.6M pilot boat Atlantic which is fuelled – as are workboats across the harbour fleet – by Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO). Photo – Falmouth Harbour.

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).

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.

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.