SHOREHAM Port has won a national award.

The port teamed up with consultant Arcadis to win geo-environmental Project of the Year at the Ground Engineering Awards.

The awards are the flagship event for the geotechnical profession.

Project of the Year Award is made for a scheme which stands out for innovation, quality, sustainability and value engineering.

The project began when mysterious oil slicks appeared on the beach and in the sea at Portslade more than two years ago.

The tarry substance smelt so strong it caused serious upset to beach users and local residents up to a mile away.

After an investigation by Arcadis, the source of the tar was identified as a multitude of underground tanks and pipes left over from the demolished coal gas works that used to occupy a 30-acre site.

The route the tar was taking underground from the source to the foreshore was also identified and a solar-powered oil-skimming machine was installed in a borehole on the route to intercept the flow of oil.

Two factors were of particular importance to their success; namely the effective and collaborative delivery of the project through close cooperation between the Port and Arcadis and their strong inclusion strategy for other stakeholders, especially the local community, Brighton & Hove City Council and the Environment Agency.

After a skillful, wide-ranging investigation by the Port’s consultants Arcadis, working closely with the Port’s in-house engineering team, the source of the tar was identified as a multitude of underground tanks and pipes left over from the demolished coal gas works that used to occupy a thirty acre site at the east end of the Port.

The route the tar was taking underground from the source to the foreshore was also identified and a solar-powered oil-skimming machine was installed in a borehole on the route to intercept the flow of oil. So far, there has been no reoccurrence of the oil slicks or smell.

Tony Parker, Director of Engineering at the Port commented “We are completely stunned but incredibly proud to have won such an esteemed honour such as this. Our heart-felt thanks and congratulations go to everyone associated with the project from the Port, Arcadis and the local community.”

The picture shows Arcadis Directors George Flower and Colin Plum, Project Site Manager Laura Cohu and Tony Parker being presented the award by Groundsure Engineering Director, Dan Montagnani and comedian Marcus Brigstock.