- Contract awarded to Freyssinet to deliver berth improvements in Esperance and Albany
- Investment to support trade growth across southern regional Western Australia
- Three-year project delivered as part of multi-million asset investment at Southern Ports
A $12.2 million project at Western Australia’s two southernmost ports is upgrading berth infrastructure to support growing trade for the region.
Leading civil engineering firm Freyssinet will work with Southern Ports to deliver a suite of remediation works underneath two berths at the port authority’s Esperance and Albany ports.
The works will include hydro demolition across sections of Berth 1 at the Port of Esperance and Berth 3 at the Port of Albany followed by concrete replacements.
The two berths are critical for grain exports, which accounted for 93 per cent of the 6.7 million tonnes of trade facilitated over them last year, with figures expected to succeed that this year.
Following a competitive tender process, Freyssinet were awarded the contract and commenced work in Esperance in late 2025 and have since relocated to Albany.
The program of works will be delivered across three stages over the course of three years to ensure no interruption to port operations or customers.
The Freyssinet team will relocate multiple times between the ports to complete the works.
As stated by Ports Minister Stephen Dawson:
“Improving the berths at WA ports means we can continue to grow port capacity to handle trade and that is vitally important given the bumper crops being produced by WA growers.
“More than 6.2 million tonnes of grain were facilitated by these two berths alone last year and the numbers already look higher this year, which is why it’s important we can simultaneously complete the works without interrupting vital trade.
“The Cook Labor Government is committed to investing in infrastructure that continues to enable our industries to connect with global markets.”
As stated by Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis:
“We know that port investment supports the longevity and prosperity of our grain sector and our regions.
“This investment in berth remediation ensures our regional ports can offer diverse trade capabilities and plan for the long-term security of our agricultural exports, which is integral for our grain industry.
“I’m proud the Cook Labor Government is delivering assets that support a strong future for our primary industries, create jobs in our regions, and strengthen our State’s economy.”
As stated by Southern Ports chief executive officer Keith Wilks:
“Southern Ports prides itself on an award-winning approach to asset management and a big part of that is ensuring we keep our ports in operational condition.
“Our berths are fundamental to the throughput and economic contribution we generate across our ports – investment in their upkeep is vital, particularly in our harsh marine environments.
“By completing this as one works package across both ports, we are able to work with a team who is familiar to our environment and undertaking the same methodology, capitalising on favourable conditions to carry out that job without impacting operations.
“We’re confident that working through a multi-year program with the same Freyssinet crew across both sites will deliver the best outcomes for our customers.”
As stated by Freyssinet WA remedial manager Mark Wilson:
“This project highlights our team’s capability to deliver high-quality, technically rigorous solutions in complex environments.
“Freyssinet is incredibly proud of the trust placed in us by Southern Ports and look forward to collaborating closely with their project delivery and operations teams to achieve an exceptional outcome.
“This project further reinforces our reputation as a leading provider of remedial engineering and asset rehabilitation solutions across Western Australia.”
