As an island nation, Australia relies on its ports and maritime sector for the import and export of goods and commodities. The success of the nation’s economy and to a large extent Australia’s overall prosperity is influenced by the performance of the shipping, ports and maritime industry.

WSP can offer a full range of port, maritime and coastal services in support of the industry. A full pit to port offering is provided in combination with our materials handling team; inland distribution is supported by our strengths in intermodal facilities and freight and logistics.

Our local maritime expertise and presence around Australia is supported by a global team of specialists. Both local and global teams have a rich and diverse background of project experience in the planning, design, and construction of port facilities, marine infrastructure, and coastal works. We deliver innovative, value-engineered outcomes that are built on over a century of experience and a thorough understanding of the challenges and risks that influence this multifaceted sector.

To remain competitive, port facilities need to operate efficiently while remaining responsive to the trends and challenges shaping global goods movement.

We perform strategic advisory, planning, engineering, maritime structures, environmental, program management, construction management, and asset management services for ports, including cargo facilities, passenger and recreational facilities, military facilities, and ship maintenance and repair facilities.

Our expertise in coastal works includes breakwaters, intakes and outfalls, dredging and reclamation. The marine infrastructure services we offer includes platforms, subsea structures, pipelines and cables for offshore renewables, power transmission, telecoms, and oil and gas industries.

Understanding the purpose, use, and operations of these facilities enables our advisors, planners, engineers, and architects to develop the best solutions to meet our client’s needs.

Our maritime team offers a comprehensive range of advisory services, including strategy and operations advice, venture optimization, financial modelling and business case development, PPP advisory, and transaction services. We provide bespoke consultancy services for port authorities, terminal operating companies, governments, shipping lines, logistics operators, and the wider financial community. Our specialized expertise includes container terminals, dry and liquid bulks, Ro-Ro, general/breakbulk commodities, chilled/frozen goods, ferries, shipbuilding and repair, offshore vessels, and passenger/cruise.

WSP’s port planning and analysis team can help port authorities and terminal operators evaluate, plan and develop efficient and modern terminals. We provide real-world expertise from a “big picture”, or detailed perspective, on state-of- the-art automated facilities or conventional terminals. Staying true to our focus on sustainability, we pay special attention to the marine environment in which the equipment will operate, while ensuring solutions are cost-effective and deliverable.

Cargo terminals make maritime trade possible, with approximately 90% of goods travelling by water at some point in their journey between manufacturing and retail. We design efficient and future ready container, dry and liquid bulk, break bulk and project cargo, auto and ro-ro port infrastructure for today’s economic climate. WSP also has extensive experience designing intermodal terminals and linking these into port transportation infrastructure with our freight and logistics expertise.

We evaluate, manage, upgrade and design new passenger and recreational facilities including cruise terminals, ferry service infrastructure, marinas and waterside developments. Our in-depth involvement with the cruise sector has given us a wide appreciation of the differing requirements for embarkation and port-of-call terminals for the full range of vessels operating globally. Our experience developing ferry facilities makes us well equipped to assist our clients in evaluating ferry service strategies and existing assets, as well as improving and developing new facilities. Our buildings and maritime groups have combined experience in developing marinas and waterside areas, enabling our clients to realize the best use of these waterside community areas.

Military facilities have unique operational needs that are coupled with strict security protocols and advanced technological specifications. While their waterfront structures are often similar to cargo and passenger ports, they also need to serve both equipment and cargo deployment, while at the same time supporting vessel servicing and troop movements. Carriers and war-fighting vessels each require unique landside capabilities, while ships for deployment can often resemble the assets you would find in a Ro-Ro, container, or break bulk ports. At WSP, we understand the special operational and mission requirements these facilities require.

At WSP, we design coastal works including breakwaters, intake and outfall pipelines, dredge and reclaim land, ensuring that your shores are protected and resilient. We develop creative and practical solutions for services such as shore protection, dredging, and the provision of infrastructure for water management to counter the effects of scour, siltation, and erosion along our coastlines without affecting sensitive environments or communities.

Largely hidden beneath the waves, marine infrastructure is critical to the effective operation of our offshore energy and communication systems. These are the platforms, subsea structures, pipelines, moorings, power and telecommunications cables that underpin our offshore activities in oil and gas, wind, wave and tidal energy, and global telecommunications. The design of subsea cables and pipelines can present unique challenges, which are often in conflict with one another, requiring a delicate balance to be struck.