Falmouth Harbour Trials All-Concrete Pontoon Float

Falmouth Harbour is trialling what is believed to be the world’s first all-concrete marina pontoon float, marking a step towards removing Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) from its operations.

The new float has been designed and built by Penryn-based marine company ScaffFloat and installed beneath a harbour pontoon as part of ongoing testing.

Move Away From Polystyrene

Falmouth Harbour has pledged to move away from EPS products due to growing evidence of the harm caused by polystyrene microplastics in the marine environment.

Polystyrene, commonly used for its buoyancy, is made from fossil fuels and does not decompose. When it breaks down, it forms microplastics that can be ingested by marine life.

Vicki Spooner, Environment Manager at Falmouth Harbour, said:
“The amount of broken up polystyrene around our creeks and rivers – particularly after this year’s storms – is awful to see and very hard to clean up without damaging the delicate ecology of our shorelines,”

“Expanded Polystyrene fragments in the marine environment pose a serious ecological concern as seabirds, fish, turtles and other fauna mistake EPS beads for food, which can cause internal injuries or death – and entering the food chain poses health risks to humans as well.”

📷Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) found around Falmouth Harbour’s creeks and rivers after the winter storms of 2026. Photo - ScaffFloat.

A New Type of Float

ScaffFloat has developed the new product, known as the Reef Float, as an alternative to traditional concrete-coated EPS pontoons.

The float features a buoyant core made from ultra-low-density waterproof concrete, encased within a high-strength engineered concrete shell. Unlike EPS floats, which can release polystyrene if damaged, the Reef Float is designed to remain inert in the marine environment.

The first commercial prototype has already been tested at Falmouth Harbour.

Toby Budd, founder and managing director of ScaffFloat, said:
“We replaced a failing EPS pontoon float at Falmouth Harbour with a Reef Float, where it survived all that this January’s storms could throw at it,”

“It’s what we would expect, of course, as we’ve designed it to be strong with an ultra-long life. But it’s also completely inert in the marine environment and 100% recyclable, so a game-changing alternative to the EPS floats currently used all over the world.”

📷Credit: ScaffFloat

Backed by Funding and Recognition

The development of the Reef Float was supported by £284,787 in funding from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, as part of Cornwall’s Good Growth Programme.

Jayne Kirkham, local MP, said:
“This is exactly the kind of innovation we want to see in Cornwall – local businesses developing practical but cutting-edge solutions to global environmental challenges.

“Cutting polystyrene pollution from our waters while creating skilled jobs is a win for our marine environment and our economy. I’m proud to see government funding helping projects like this lead the way.”

The Reef Float team has also been shortlisted for the Innovation Award at Marina26, set to take place in Australia this May.

📷Credit: ScaffFloat

Looking Ahead

Falmouth Harbour plans to replace EPS floats gradually as part of its operations.

Miles Carden, CEO of Falmouth Harbour, said:
“Falmouth Harbour has made the conscious decision to move away from EPS foam pontoons in all our operations and it’s fantastic that our neighbours at ScaffFloat are the first company to offer a plastic-free alternative.

“Reef Floats are easily installed, in situ, on a rolling basis, as and when we need to replace old EPS floats and they have a zero-cost, 100% recyclable end-of-life disposal. It’s another tremendous example of Cornish ingenuity and we look forward to working with them into the future.”

The environmental risks of EPS have been highlighted globally, including during the 2022 Queensland floods in Australia, where more than 1,000 pontoons were lost, leading to what became known as the “White Spill”.

More information about the Reef Float can be found on the ScaffFloat website, while further details on Falmouth Harbour’s environmental work are available on the Falmouth Harbour website.

📷The new all-concrete Reef Float gets the political seal of approval from Falmouth & Truro MP Jayne Kirkham – flanked by ScaffFloat MD Toby Budd and Falmouth Harbour MD Miles Carden to the left and FH Environment Manager Vicki Spooner and Chair of Commissioners Nigel Tipple to the right. Photo - Toby Weller