Building climate resilience in port infrastructure
Ports – critical gateways for trade, energy and passengers – are increasingly exposed to the impacts of climate change. Rising sea levels, intensifying rainfall and more frequent extreme weather events pose significant risks to port infrastructure, operations and safety.
CHALLENGE
For the Port of Tyne, a major UK deep-sea port, stakeholders were becoming increasingly concerned about how climate change could impact future operations and recognised the need to explore how evolving climate conditions might affect access routes, operational continuity, and long-term infrastructure resilience to flooding and other extreme events.
The port recognised that to properly prepare for climate change, they needed a robust, evidence-based strategy to assess vulnerabilities and guide adaptation.
APPROACH
Ricardo was commissioned to deliver a comprehensive climate risk assessment and adaptation strategy. The project was structured around four core components:
- Climate Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (VRA): Using UKCP18 and Copernicus climate data, Ricardo assessed the Port of Tyne’s exposure to hazards including sea level rise, rainfall, heatwaves and storm surges. This was complemented by site visits and stakeholder workshops to understand operational sensitivities and adaptive capacities. Over 30 assets were evaluated including terminals, substations, warehouses and access roads. Each was rated for sensitivity, exposure and adaptive capacity, resulting in a prioritised risk register.
- Adaptation planning: Ricardo developed a suite of targeted adaptation actions, mapping already existing actions and proposing to the Port other options. These included retrofitting substations with floodproofing, enhancing drainage systems, raising quay heights, upgrading HVAC systems and implementing sustainable urban drainage solutions (SuDS).
- Flood risk assessment report: Conducting a flood risk appraisal, assessing the specific flood risks (pluvial, fluvial, coastal) for each asset at risk
The strategy was aligned with UK Climate Change Act requirements and designed to integrate seamlessly with the port’s existing risk management processes.
BENEFITS
The Ricardo-led assessment delivered tangible benefits to the client.
By providing clarity on risk exposure through the VRA, the Port of Tyne was able to confidently and strategically prioritise investment and actionable adaptation measures. The strategy translated climate science into practical engineering and operational solutions, many of which could be implemented immediately with low cost and high impact.
Provisions to enhance safety and continuity also ensure workforce safety, emergency preparedness and infrastructure resilience, directly improving the port’s ability to operate safely under extreme conditions. Provisions to future-proof infrastructure were included, as thresholds for quay height interventions were established and climate resilience factors were incorporated into new developments. This ensures the port is now better positioned to manage long-term climate risks.
Through data-driven analysis and reports, the port is empowered to respond to real-world conditions rather than relying solely on uncertain projections, improving agility and confidence in planning.
Ultimately, Ricardo’s work enabled the Port of Tyne to move from reactive risk awareness to proactive climate resilience preparedness – ensuring it remains a reliable, safe, sustainable and commercially competitive hub for maritime activity in a changing climate.
Chief Business Officer at the Port of Tyne, Ashley Nicholson, said: “As a deep-sea port we know first-hand the pressures that extreme weather and sea level rise can place on operations. This project with Ricardo has given us practical, prioritised actions that protect our people, assets and operations, while ensuring continuity for customers. Climate resilience will be built into our long-term planning, keeping the Port future-ready.”