Clough, part of Webuild Group, and the BMD Group have officially commenced marine piling on the Darwin Ship Lift Facility in the Northern Territory, a major milestone for the project.

Being delivered as part of the Clough BMD Joint Venture and in partnership with the Northern Territory Government, the Darwin Ship Lift Facility is part of the Northern Marine Complex, which will service defence, commercial and international vessels operating across northern Australia and the Indo-Pacific.

Check out the video of the piling commencement here.

Once complete, the Darwin Ship Lift Facility will be one of the largest in northern Australia at 26 metres wide and 103 metres long. It will have the capacity to lift vessels weighing up to 5,500 tonnes.

Using specialised equipment, the project team is installing the marine piles, which are 900 millimetres in diameter and range in length from 17 to 33 metres. The piles will be installed using a combination of land-based piling templates and a crane barge with a piling template in the deeper water inside the ship lift pocket and wet berths. A total of 186 tubular piles will be installed to support the ship lift system, wet berths, pontoons and navigation aids for the ship lift facility. 

Marine piling works will be carried out in strict accordance with the project’s approved Environmental Management Plan and the requirements of the Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority.

Comprehensive environmental monitoring will continue throughout the piling activities to ensure compliance and to protect the surrounding marine environment.

Located in the East Arm precinct, between the Marine Supply Base at the Port of Darwin and the multi-user barge ramp facility at the Marine Industry Park, the facility will reinforce Darwin’s marine maintenance and servicing activities and create benefits for local businesses and Territorians.

The collaboration between Webuild and Clough – combining the Group’s managerial capability and international reach with the expertise developed over decades by a company deeply rooted in Australia’s industrial history – enables a highly specialised engineering approach, essential in an operating environment shaped by some of the country’s most pronounced tidal variations.

About the Project 

Clough BMD Joint Venture is delivering the procurement and construction for the development of the Darwin Ship Lift Facility in partnership with the Northern Territory (NT) Government. 

Clough BMD Joint Venture is constructing the facility to meet the needs of the general maritime sector and the current and long-term needs of the Department of Defence and the Australian Border Force, while making a positive impact through business opportunities, jobs and community initiatives in the Territory. 

The facility will enable the maintenance and servicing of defence and Australian Border Force vessels, along with commercial and private vessels from the fishing, oil and gas and marine industries. Learn more about the project here.

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