Break Bulk and Project Terminals
In contrast to the highly specific requirements of container and intermodal terminals, break bulk cargo is characterized by its non-standard nature and varying size, requiring a high level of resources on the wharf and transport end, open and covered storage, specialized handling equipment for vessel service and terminal transfer, and on occasion heavy lift capabilities.
These can include temporary or permanent Marine Off-Loading Facilities (MOLF) for nuclear power stations, temporary heavy-load quays for offloading turbines for new conventional power stations in remote areas, manufacture, assembly and load-out of foundations, turbines, and offshore substations for offshore wind. Our global team of experts works closely with all stakeholders to understand the likely mix of break bulk and project cargo, so that facilities can be designed to best suit your demands.
Repsol Nuevas Energias UK required support in its port and harbour activities for the Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm. We were involved from concept development to pre-FEED support in its port and harbour activities and used multi-criteria selection models and port inspections to support assembly, construction, as well as operations and maintenance for this Scottish offshore wind farm.
Auto and Ro-Ro Terminals
Auto and Ro-Ro facilities require large stretches of property on which to store low-density cargos.
Autos and wheeled equipment are typically staged on an aggregate, gravel, or paved surface similar to a parking area, and the more tightly they are stored, the higher the occurrence of damage. Ro-Ro cargo is also hard to pack densely without building expensive elevating parking structures, which puts these facilities in competition with other types of cargo terminals when vying for the highest and best land use.
As a result, these cargo terminals are typically built-in niche ports where the competition is minimal or altogether absent, otherwise they are continuously competing to cohabitate with container and other terminal operations.
Heavy-lift facilities can also take the form of Ro-Ro ramps, piers or quays, or heavy load pads behind a new or existing berth, to enable the use of heavy-lift cranes, skid, and SPMT systems, or even a reinforced seabed to support load out of jack-up vessels.
Cargo terminals make maritime trade possible. The role they play cannot be underestimated, with approximately 90% of goods travelling by water at some point in their journey between manufacturing and retail. Ports are an essential part of the global economy. The maritime commerce trade has also been a source of stress to many port authorities, owners, operators, and developers in recent years, and with many new factors on the horizon, it’s difficult to identify which are going to shift the paradigm and which will ultimately be a footnote in history.