Hesselberg Hydro

What Hesselberg Hydro does

Hesselberg Hydro, trading as Hesselberg Erosion Protection, is a UK-based specialist engineering contractor that designs and installs hydraulic asphalt erosion-protection systems for critical water and coastal infrastructure. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Dawlish, the company serves water utilities, government bodies, local authorities and maritime infrastructure operators, protecting assets including dams, reservoirs, spillways, rivers, estuaries, coastlines, ports and offshore structures. The firm's flagship technology is an engineered hydraulic asphalt system that is flexible, installable underwater, and qualified to withstand waves up to 6m and flow velocities of 8.5m/s; a related grouted-rock reinforcement system is offered for upgrading existing armour-stone defences.

The product portfolio is organized around six solution lines — Engineered Asphalt Erosion Protection Systems, Stop Erosion and Scour, Seal and Protect Reservoirs, Rock Defence Reinforcement, Subsea Impact Protection, and End-to-End Engineering Services — covering the full project lifecycle from feasibility and design through offshore supply, installation, inspection, R&D and long-term maintenance. Documented outcomes include up to 75% lower embodied carbon than concrete, 2-4x faster installation versus concrete, and 28 years of zero-maintenance performance at Megget Reservoir. Notable reference projects include work for Thames Water at Lee Valley, River Arun Revetment Replacement in Sussex, River Yare Riverbank Protection in Norfolk, Two Tree Island in Essex, Selset Dam in County Durham and Fewston Reservoir spillway expansion in Yorkshire.

The business model is enterprise project-based services sold through direct field sales to UK infrastructure buyers. Pricing is custom, multi-year contract-based and not publicly disclosed. The company has 11-50 employees, operates only in the UK, has no disclosed funding, parent entity, subsidiaries, partnerships, acquisitions, leadership changes, or regulatory actions, and uses website content marketing, project case studies and direct engineer contact as its primary go-to-market channels.

Name

Hesselberg Hydro

Legal name

Hesselberg Erosion Protection

Website

https://hesselberg-hydro.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hesselberg Hydro designs and installs hydraulic asphalt erosion-protection systems for UK dams, reservoirs, rivers, coastlines, ports and offshore structures, serving water utilities, government bodies and maritime infrastructure operators since 1986.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hydraulic Engineering Services

NAICS

Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction (23711), Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction (237110), Utility System Construction (2371)

SIC

Asphalt Paving & Roofing Materials (2950), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Stormwater & Drainage Infrastructure Construction (Sewer, Detention, Outfalls) (IMAFAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Storage & Conveyance Structures (Reservoirs, Tanks, Culverts, Tunnels) (IMAFAGAE), Asphalt Mixing & Paving Materials (Hot/Warm/Cold Mix, RAP/RAS Blends) (EUALAKAG)

Keywords

• Hydraulic erosion protection
• Asphalt marine engineering
• Coastal infrastructure protection
• Reservoir waterproofing systems
• Dam spillway lining

Headquarters

HQ city

Folkestone

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Engineering Services and Installation: End-to-end delivery from feasibility to installation, including design, inspections, R&D, offshore supply and long-term maintenance. Project-based contracts for hydraulic protection systems on dams, reservoirs, spillways, rivers and coasts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Hesselberg Hydro designs, supplies, and installs engineered hydraulic asphalt systems that protect critical UK water and coastal infrastructure from erosion, scour, and flooding. The company delivers turnkey projects from feasibility and design through installation, inspection, R&D, offshore supply, and long-term maintenance for dams, reservoirs, spillways, rivers, estuaries, and coastlines. Its hydraulic asphalt is positioned as a flexible, faster-to-install, lower-carbon alternative to concrete, with engineered solutions for subsea impact protection and rock defence reinforcement.

Product overview

Hesselberg Erosion Protection offers a portfolio of engineered hydraulic asphalt solutions for coastal, river, and reservoir applications. The core offering consists of flexible asphalt protection systems that serve as alternatives to concrete, with solutions spanning erosion and scour prevention, reservoir sealing, rock defence reinforcement, and subsea impact protection. Services encompass the full project lifecycle from feasibility and design through installation, inspection, and long-term maintenance. The company operates primarily in the UK, protecting critical water infrastructure including dams, reservoirs, spillways, rivers, coasts, ports, and offshore structures.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Engineered Hydraulic Asphalt Erosion Protection Systems Engineered hydraulic asphalt systems designed for coastal, river, and reservoir protection, used by UK water utilities, government bodies, and infrastructure operators to resist erosion, scour, and flooding with up to 75% less embodied carbon than concrete.
• Stop Erosion & Scour Solutions Engineered asphalt systems that stabilise riverbanks, estuaries, coasts and offshore structures, resisting fast flows and wave energy to safeguard assets from long-term degradation.
• Seal & Protect Reservoirs Hydraulic linings for dams, reservoirs and spillways, proven to reduce leakage while extending the service life of water-retaining structures.
• Rock Defence Reinforcement Grouted rock systems that bind and reinforce existing armour stone, adding flexibility, reducing required rock size, and upgrading protection against high wave loads and scour.
• Subsea Impact Protection Specialist asphalt applications placed below the waterline, designed to protect structures from scour, impact, and high-velocity flows, and installable underwater with minimal disruption.
• End-to-End Hydraulic Engineering Services Full-service delivery of hydraulic asphalt protection projects, covering feasibility studies, design, installation, inspection, R&D, offshore supply, and long-term maintenance for UK water utilities, government bodies, and infrastructure operators.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 75% less embodied carbon than concrete
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Hillhouse Group: Hillhouse Group is a UK-based environmental engineering and contractor business with capabilities in watercourse, coastal and reservoir works. It is a direct UK peer in terms of customer base (water utilities, local authorities) and project scope (riverbank, reservoir and coastal protection).
• Carpi Tech: Carpi Tech is a specialist in geomembrane and synthetic lining systems for hydraulic structures including dams, reservoirs and canals. It is the most direct competitor to Hesselberg's reservoir-sealing and dam-protection offering, serving the same end customers (water utilities, dam operators) with comparable waterproofing/barrier solutions.

Regional players

• Costain Group: Costain is a UK infrastructure contractor with a strong water and coastal defence practice, serving the same Environment Agency, water-utility and reservoir customers as Hesselberg. It is a peer through shared end markets and project types, but operates as a generalist contractor at much greater scale.
• BAM Nuttall: BAM Nuttall is a major UK civil engineering contractor delivering complex water, marine and infrastructure projects. It is comparable as a UK-headquartered contractor operating in the same reservoir, river and coastal infrastructure end markets, although at significantly larger scale and with broader construction capabilities.

Emerging players

• Tensar International (a division of CMC): Tensar specialises in geogrids and ground-stabilisation systems used in civil infrastructure, including reinforcement for earthworks, slopes and coastal/water applications. It overlaps with Hesselberg in erosion control and ground-stabilisation use cases for water infrastructure projects.
• Solmax (Solmax International): Solmax is a global manufacturer of geomembranes and geosynthetics used in hydraulic containment, mining and environmental applications. It is comparable to Hesselberg through its reservoir-lining and hydraulic-barrier use cases, though it focuses on synthetic membranes rather than asphalt-based systems.
• Naue GmbH & Co. KG: Naue is a European manufacturer of geosynthetics including sealing systems, erosion-control products and dam/reservoir lining solutions. It addresses the same hydraulic infrastructure end markets as Hesselberg with adjacent material technology.

Broad incumbents

• Colas: Colas is one of the world's largest road construction and asphalt product groups, with expertise in specialty asphalts and bitumen formulations. It is comparable to Hesselberg through its asphalt technology base and its ability to develop specialty binders, although its primary focus is on road paving rather than hydraulic engineering applications.
• Maccaferri: Maccaferri is a global leader in civil and environmental engineering solutions, including gabions, geosynthetics and erosion-protection systems for rivers, coasts and hydraulic infrastructure. It overlaps with Hesselberg in erosion and scour protection but operates at much greater scale and across a broader portfolio.
• Royal Boskalis Westminster: Boskalis is a global marine services and dredging contractor with significant coastal defence, subsea protection and hydraulic infrastructure capabilities. It serves as a broad incumbent peer for Hesselberg's subsea impact protection and coastal revetment work, but at vastly larger scale and scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hesselberghydro
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hesselberg-hydro

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hesselberg Hydro