Costain, in a joint venture with Mott MacDonald (CosMott), is serving as Delivery Partner to Babcock International Group (Babcock) for the 10 Dock redevelopment project at Devonport Royal Dockyard in Plymouth. Babcock is owner and operator of the Royal Dockyard.
The project recently earned a BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) Infrastructure Whole Project Award with an “Excellent” rating at Strategy and Interim Design.
The Ministry of Defence set an expectation of a “Very Good” rating. The Interim award of Excellent exceeds that target.
BREEAM Infrastructure is the world's leading sustainability assessment method for infrastructure. Achieving Excellent reflects a strong commitment to delivering a project that minimises environmental impact, enhances social value and promotes long-term resilience.
Background
Babcock is redeveloping the 10 Dock facility and surrounding dockside area. The facility plays a central role in supporting the long-term maintenance of the UK’s submarine fleet. Redevelopment is needed to modernise the dock and surrounding facilities so they can accommodate current and future submarine classes. When complete, the upgraded facility will provide enhanced, modern infrastructure for the maintenance of existing and new classes of submarine. The scope includes major upgrades to the dock itself, alongside the installation of cranes and dockside facilities.
The challenge
The 10 Dock site sits within Babcock’s wider Devonport Dockyard, creating a demanding set of design and access constraints. As a site within a site, the project has a limited operating area and has to be mindful both of neighbouring dockyard activities and of the residential community beyond the dockyard boundary.
Environmental safeguarding is another key consideration. 10 Dock is located adjacent to the tidal River Tamar, a highly sensitive and protected site. Marine noise surveys, pollution prevention measures and detailed ecological monitoring have all been put in place.
The solutions
CosMott, as an integrated team with Babcock, used the BREEAM Infrastructure framework to embed sustainability into decision-making on the project from the outset. It has enabled a clear framework that unified activities, strengthened collaboration and embedded sustainability requirements into all tenders and contracts. Highlights include:
- Adoption of PAS 2080:2023 principles across the project, supported by a Project Carbon Reduction Plan covering project carbon targets, whole life carbon assessment methodology and carbon reduction opportunities. This ensured there was a clear process for realising potential carbon and wider sustainability opportunities.
- Establishment of a Resource Management Plan and monthly performance dashboard improved control of material use, waste, energy and water.
- Construction-stage dashboard reporting covering water, energy, plant fuel emissions, transport emissions, material types and quantities, waste and sustainable procurement data.
- An Employment and Skills Plan, environmental volunteering in community outdoor spaces and a staff sustainable travel plan - embedding social value alongside technical sustainability measures.
- The ongoing development of the Project Environmental Strategy, underpinning environmental risk and opportunity management on 10 Dock, in alignment with Babcock's ISO 14001:2015-certified Environmental Management System.
Delivering long-term benefits and positive outcomes
As a result, the project received BREEAM Infrastructure ‘Excellent rating’ of 90.59% at Strategy and Interim Design.
The project received 100% scores in four of the eight categories: Resilience, Land use and ecology, Landscape and historic environment, and Pollution, thanks to strong natural hazard data and comprehensive ecological and security risk management, including targeted mitigation for protected species.
The project is well positioned to deliver further sustainability and social value gains as it progresses, including:
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The Carbon Reduction Plan has positioned the project for further carbon reduction through construction, thanks to carbon management being embedded from design stage through PAS 2080.
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The creation of the Low Carbon Concrete in Temporary Works Design Guide, addressing an industry gap and now being shared through the Temporary Works Forum. This includes the planned use of low-carbon reinforced steel, low-carbon concrete in temporary works, and an on-site concrete batching plant to reduce waste.
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Social value delivered through community support, volunteering, mentoring, apprenticeship and work experience, and a staff sustainable travel plan — recognised with a Bronze Considerate Constructors Scheme National Award 2025.
Moving forward
As the project progresses, Costain will continue to support Babcock in the development of state-of-the-art facilities at Devonport. Specifically, supporting the Astute operational programme to enable optimisation of maintenance on the platforms between HM Naval Base Clyde and Devonport dockyard.
“The award reflects a strong commitment to delivering a project that minimises environmental impact, enhances social value and promotes long-term resilience, whilst supporting the readiness of the UK’s defence mission.
Andy Firth Programme Director, Costain
“At the same time, the scale of the upgrades we’re delivering at Devonport creates a responsibility to drive best practice on sustainability and ways of working through our supply chain.
“This fantastic result is a true reflection of the passion, hard work and collaboration shown, but also testament to how we are using our scale to sustain capability and support the prosperity of the businesses and their people that are underpinning our delivery of critical national infrastructure.”