Southampton University students, Helen Vaughan and Alice Ramsay have been awarded £100 each by Associated British Ports (ABP), owners and operators of the city's docks, with projects assessing a hypothetical scheme to regenerate the Fawley Power Station site as a wind-energy farm.

The two second-year students were presented with the prizes by Southampton Harbour Master, Captain James Chestnutt after their projects were given the highest grades by lecturers at the university.

"Effective scoping studies ensure that developers, communities and local and national authorities are given the shopping list of information that they need to make decisions,'' said Captain Chestnutt.

"It is very complex, so Alice and Helen are to be congratulated on producing such thorough and well-presented reports.''

Each report examined all of the potential beneficial and negative impacts on the area that would need to be assessed in order for local and national authorities to decide whether the project should go forward.

The first degree course in Environmental Sciences at Southampton University is one of the top courses of its kind in the country and provides students with a mixture of academic training and practical examples.

The university's senior tutor in environmental science, Malcolm Hudson, said: "ABP have helped us a lot in the last few years. The guest lecturers they have provided, have given our students a direct look at the challenges of managing our environment and, of course, it's nice for good work to be rewarded."