Leading the industry: Win at UK & Ireland Spill Association Annual Awards 2026 recognises exceptional environmental response
Published: 5 November 2026
Our technical excellence, commitment to innovation, and dedication to protecting people, assets and the environment have once again been recognised at the UK & Ireland Spill Association Annual Awards.
Following a strong showing across this year's shortlist, we are delighted to have won the award for Inland Responder – Large Incident, recognising our response to one of the most significant infrastructure and environmental emergencies we have faced in recent years.
Widely regarded as a benchmark for excellence in environmental emergency response, the awards celebrate the organisations, projects and individuals driving performance, innovation and best practice across the sector.
Alongside our winning entry, we were shortlisted in the Inland Responder – Small Incident, Innovation of the Year, and Rising Star categories, demonstrating the breadth of expertise, innovation and talent across our business.
Inland Responder – Large Incident
Our winning entry recognised our exceptional response to a major fire at an electricity substation, which presented significant challenges for both nationally critical infrastructure and the surrounding environment.
Responding to an incident of this scale while protecting a sensitive river environment and supporting the continued operation of the substation required expertise from across the Group. Our team combined rapid containment, rigorous environmental monitoring, and innovative recovery and remediation techniques to manage the immediate risk and support the longer-term response.
The project was particularly significant because of the challenges associated with PFAS contamination, with our teams developing and applying approaches to contain, monitor and remediate its impact.
This award recognises the technical expertise, collaboration and innovation that went into the response and the new benchmark the project helped establish for managing PFAS following major incidents.
Setting the ‘gold standard’ in PFAS response and remediation after major transformer fire at national infrastructure substation
In March 2025, a major transformer fire at a national infrastructure substation triggered a significant environmental and infrastructure emergency. The six-day fire service response required 12.5 million litres of water and 12,500 litres of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), generating widespread PFAS contamination across the stormwater network, soils, groundwater, and the adjacent river.
Recognised across the shortlist
While we took home one award on the night, being shortlisted across a further three categories was an achievement in its own right and reflected the diversity of expertise across the Group.
Our Inland Responder – Small Incident entry recognised the team's response following the crash of a Royal Navy helicopter on the edge of Dartmoor National Park, where rapid mobilisation and specialist expertise were required to manage potential contamination within a sensitive environmental setting.
Our Innovation of the Year shortlisting recognised the development of a first-of-its-kind disposal solution for a highly challenging battery waste stream, combining specialist hazmat expertise, engineering innovation, and environmental risk management.
And our Rising Star nominations celebrated the emerging talent within our business and the people who are developing the expertise that will help shape the future of the environmental response industry.
A team achievement
Winning Inland Responder – Large Incident, alongside recognition in three further categories, is testament to the expertise, commitment and hard work of colleagues across the business.
It demonstrates not only our ability to respond when major environmental incidents occur, but also the breadth of capability behind that response, from consultancy and environmental monitoring to emergency response, remediation and waste management.
Congratulations to everyone involved in the winning project and to all the teams and individuals represented across this year's shortlist. Together, these achievements demonstrate how our combined capabilities are helping customers navigate increasingly complex environmental challenges while protecting critical operations, communities and the environment.
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