Capability Statement
Prepared for Crocodile Country
May 2026
Ports & Coastal Solutions
With over 330 marine projects completed across six decades, McConnell Dowell is synonymous with marine infrastructure.
From wharves and jetties to ocean outfalls, breakwaters, and submarine pipelines — we bring coastal confidence to every project.
Our modular approach to construction has helped create productive ports for clients like Rio Tinto, FMG, Vale, and BHP, where over 1.2 billion tonnes of iron ore are shipped annually from wharves we built.
Chith Export Facility
We revolutionised the design and construction of large-scale marine infrastructure when we delivered the Chith Export Facility - a large, complex and remotely located project for Rio Tinto at their Amrun bauxite mine, south of Weipa in Far North Queensland.
The facility comprises a 650 m access jetty, a 350 m loading wharf and an onshore conveyor system. Innovatively designed by Jacobs and constructed by us in just 10 months, modularisation was at the heart of the solution and our project team took it to new levels in scale and breadth.
Fast Facts
- 650 m access jetty
- 350 m long loading wharf
- Fully modularised construction approach
- 300,000 job-hours saved
- Build time reduced by 12 months to just 10 months
- Capital expenditure reduced by $40M
Groote Eylandt GEMCO Wharf
One of Australia’s most ambitious marine recovery efforts
Following a destructive tropical cyclone, we were engaged by South32 to urgently restore and rebuild the cyclone-damaged GEMCO Wharf on Groote Eylandt. In less than 12 months, our project team achieved a major milestone—restarting operations after an intense and fast-tracked program of works.
To meet the challenge, we mobilised a sophisticated marine fleet from across Australia, Singapore, and the UAE. This included two large jack-up barges (Santa Fe and Pauline), two smaller jack-ups (Sealift 2 and Sealift 6), a 250-tonne crane barge, three flattop storage barges, and a support fleet of tugs and work punts. The mobilisation alone was a feat of logistics, setting the stage for a highly coordinated recovery effort.
Fast Facts
- Fast-track salvage and wharf rebuild
- 1037 tonnes of concrete and 998 tonnes of steel recovered from the seabed
- 28 new piles and 13 large prefabricated steel units installed
HMAS Coonawarra
New wharf and approach jetties to support the Australian Defence Force
We refined the initial concept design and constructed a new outer wharf structure at HMAS Coonawarra in Darwin to support the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The project involved the construction of a new 250 m long wharf and two approach jetties.
While the final structures are simple in their geometry and configuration, the site location and operational requirements were challenging.
Fast Facts
- 250 m long wharf
- Two approach jetties
- Enhancing ADF's maritime defence capability
Shiploader and Berth Replacement, Hay Point
Improving throughput and cyclonic wave immunity
We completed the main berth construction scope for BHP Mitsubishi Alliance's (BMA) SABR Project, using the Early Contractor Involvement process to develop a number of innovations.
SABR, short for 'Shiploader and Berth 2 Replacement', was a brownfields project located within the lease boundaries of BMA's existing Hay Point Coal Terminal near Mackay, Queensland. It included the disassembly and replacement of one of the existing shiploaders and berths to improve materials handling throughput and cyclonic wave immunity.
Fast Facts
- Off-site fabrication of new berth topside modules
- On-site preparatory works including modification of existing concrete caisson berth foundations
- Disassembly and removal of existing berth and ship loader
- Installation of new berth modules, tie-in and commissioning
- Installation of new ship loader.
