Maritime Cargo Facilities

Port 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. Port terminals will continue to transform over the coming decades, driven by technology adoption, the climate agenda, and intensifying geopolitical and macroeconomic shifts. Our port terminals specialists are fully conversant in all of the major trends currently affecting the sector, to help you carefully match capacity to demand efficiently and sustainably.

All of our integrated offerings encompass this global perspective while focusing on the local ramifications, to ensure that you end up with the best solution for your port terminal, taking into account your budget, timeline, and any other constraints the project might present. We perform feasibility studies, site selection, appraisals, preparation, commissioning and operations, and implementation, as well as undertaking overall planning assessments, detailed design and construction supervision. Whether part of a new build or retrofit program, we offer a single point of contact and our comprehensive approach considers all aspects of your business, the local economy, environment, and community to build you a personalized, bespoke solution.

Container terminals

In the world of container transportation, it is crucial to remain competitive and you are well served by periodically upgrading your port terminals in order to maximize storage capacity and minimize container handling costs. Our team works with you to find the best market position, avoiding both costly over-investment as well as the potential revenue loss from under-investment, all while taking potential market volatility and key international developments into consideration.

We are fully conversant in the latest developments in quayside and gantry crane technology, including partially and fully automated systems. We will ensure that your port terminals and their associated wharves, berth depths, container handling equipment, and gate systems are optimized for the larger modern ships and the associated increased container traffic in a cost effective and efficient manner.

Intermodal terminals

Intermodal container transportation moves containerized freight across multiple steps in its journey – by rail, ship, and truck – without unpacking the containers themselves at any point. By reducing container handling, we in turn reduce the potential for damage and loss, all while improving security and accelerating freight delivery. It’s easy to see why more and more shippers are embracing this model of good’s transportation.

Nevertheless, there are growing pains: port facility developers need efficient and expandable terminal layouts, whereas intermodal transportation developers need cutting edge logistics and operational improvements to accommodate the seamless and rapid transfer of containers between modes of transit. At WSP, we have the experience and expertise to incorporate the needs of all parties, as well as the proven track record in upgrading intermodal terminals in all corners of the world.

Our planning and design expertise covers all transportation modes involved in an intermodal terminal, and we can rely upon the experience of our colleagues in rail and roads and highways to assess, plan, and develop your 360˚ solutions, while providing rapid access to warehousing and logistic providers. Our services also extend to the infrastructure and activities that interface with ports, including landside transport and distribution of goods, logistics, supply chains, and automated information services.

Dry bulk ports and terminals

Whilst our experts appreciate that the productivity and efficiency of bulk terminals is determined by the infrastructure, handling equipment and operational processes; we understand the intricate details relating to cargo characteristics and supply chain challenges that each of our client’s face.

Combining our ports and maritime expertise with our diverse in-house experience in market forecasting, mine resourcing and mineral processing, industrial developments, and energy generation, we are facing the challenges across the dry bulk sector head on.

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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

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 highest and best land use.

As a result, these cargo terminals are typically built in niche ports where the competition is minimal or all together 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.