Q: HR Wallingford is a global organization providing various technical solutions in the water sector. Apart from the maritime sector, please explain the various services that your organization provides?

Ans : HR Wallingford Limited is an independent research and consultancy in Civil Engineering and Environmental Hydraulics. HR Wallingford has been offered the Scientific Research Association - SCIREA status.

We deliver practical solutions to complex water-related issues faced by our international clients. With a 70-year track record of achievements, our unique mix of know-how, assets, and facilities include state of the art physical modelling laboratories, a full range of numerical modelling tools and, above all, enthusiastic people with world-renowned skills and expertise.

In the Maritime and Coastal sector, we provide specialised consultancy and engineering services for Coastal Infrastructure, Dredging, Estuary Infrastructure, Ports/Terminals, and Harbours and waterfront development.

Along with the maritime sector, we serve the following sectors as well

• 1. Flood and Water Management
• Climate Change
  We provide specialised assistance in determining the impact of climate change over the design engineering of marine facilities.
• Dams and Reservoirs
  We can help all areas concerning the safety of dams and reservoirs; from safety inspections by qualified Panel Engineers, to risk assessments for reservoirs and dams, early warning systems and flood mapping.
• Flood Forecasting and flood risk assessment and Management
  HR Wallingford delivers flood forecasting and warning systems that are designed to be quick, accurate and reliable under extreme catchment conditions. We also provide flood risk assessments tools and sustainable flood risk management solutions. Our skills and expertise cover the technology and science behind the different strands of sustainable and integrated catchment flood risk management.
• River Infrastructure Management
  We assess the river stability, areas prone to Scour and erosion and advise on suitable mitigation measures including bank protection work etc. We advise on inland waterways.
• Urban Drainage Infrastructure and Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS)
  We assess the hydraulic performance of drainage systems using traditional 1D and newer 2D modelling techniques, as well as advanced risk-based methods. This requires experienced engineers and drainage modellers familiar with tools such as InfoWorks ICM.
• Water Resource Management

• 2. Energy (Oil and Gas / Petrochemicals / Power / Renewable)

HR Wallingford has an enviable track record supporting the global oil and gas industry with a range of specialist planning, design and engineering services to progress developments at every stage of the project life cycle: site selection, concept development, FEED, EPC and production phases.

• Our expertise and specialist services are applied during refining projects to support the design of
• Marine terminals for import/ export of feedstock/product
• Water supply and wastewater disposal system
• Cooling/warming water systems
• Pipelines
• Site protection and shore protection
• Thermal plume dispersion and recirculation studies
• Flood risk management, including site protection from inundation
• Extreme water levels, including cyclones and tsunami risk
• Numerical models of engineering hydraulics
• Physical model testing of pumping stations and marine structures
• Design and assessment of marine off-loading facilities
• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

• 3. Environment

We can undertake Ecological modelling to assess the process of interaction between water flows, sediments, water quality and ecology that lie at the heart of ecosystems. We study Biodiversity and can advise on conservation. We also undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies.

Q: HR Wallingford has been involved with port developers in India both public and private. What is your view vis-à-vis their global counterparts?

Ans : India is a maritime country with natural long shorelines. The potential for development of port infrastructure is not fully tapped in India yet, although the Government of India is extremely keen to build modern port based manufacturing and export infrastructure as well as coastal and inland waterways transport network.

At HR Wallingford Ltd., we have been working very closely with various port developers in India and globally. We feel that Indian Port developers should spend more time and efforts in the initial due diligence, site study including detailed hydrodynamic assessment of the conditions at the site in order to develop costeffective and efficient port layouts, using the modern numerical and physical modelling techniques. This requires state of the art tools along with experts. HR Wallingford Ltd. has global experience in the field of Maritime ports development and we bring about substantial savings by carrying out efficient due diligence. Every Port site is unique and the success of a port depends on the selection of most optimum location and developing efficient layout after carefully considering hydrodynamic/ geotechnical and geophysical conditions at the site.

Our experience is that port developers in India are not as enthusiastic about these issues related to up-front investment in these due diligence studies as compared with their Global Counterparts but the costs savings can be substantial.

Q: According to you, what are the major lessons that the maritime sector in India needs to learn from global players?

Ans : As stated above, the devil lies in details and if sufficient resources are deployed in detailing at the early stage, one can avoid costly and irreversible mistakes and create cost-effective, efficient and profitable maritime infrastructure and operational practices.

Q: Do you see areas of opportunity for co-operation between the J M BAXI GROUP and HR Wallingford? How it will benefit overall maritime trade in India?

Ans : We see a huge opportunity for cooperation between JM BAXI Group and HR Wallingford. I am listing here below a few of these opportunities -

1. Port Sector

• We can work with you at an early stage of development of port infrastructure and advise you on
• Optimum layout
• Minimise dredging
• Optimise breakwater layout using our engineering expertise coupled with numerical and physical modelling tools.
• Mooring
• Navigation simulation
• Environmental Impact Assessment

2. Renewable

We can assist you in offshore wind farm installations particularly on site selection, metocean studies and ground conditions.

3. Offshore and Waterways Logistics

We can work with BOXCO in risk assessment and optimisation of transportation of cargo on barges including navigation.

4. Working with TRAMIN

We can assist TRAMIN as technical due diligence partner while working with transaction advisory companies.