Project Overview
Client: Channel Infrastructure NZ Ltd
Location: Marsden Point, Northland
Foundation system: QPOD 300mm
Total area: 2,051.75 m²
Units installed: 4,694 × QPOD 300 pods + 1,086 extenders, 116 end caps, 1,521 spacers
Structural engineer: HFC Group (Civil & Structural Engineers)
Construction group: Conset Construction
Drawing status: For building consent
The Site
Marsden Point is a broad, flat peninsula forming the southern head of the Whangārei Harbour entrance in Northland, 30 kilometres southeast of Whangārei and around 140 kilometres from Auckland’s CBD. It’s home to New Zealand’s largest fuel import terminal, operated by Channel Infrastructure — the former Refining NZ, which ran the country’s only oil refinery from 1964 until it was decommissioned in 2022.
The site is now undergoing one of the more significant industrial transformations in New Zealand’s recent history. Channel Infrastructure aims to transform Marsden Point into an energy precinct capable of accommodating a range of energy projects to boost energy resilience and support decarbonisation, unlocking the value of 120 hectares of underutilised land alongside its existing jetty, pipeline, and storage infrastructure. PwC research estimates the precinct could contribute $3.3 billion to GDP over the construction phase, supporting around 20,000 FTE jobs, with long-term annual GDP contribution of $290 million once operational.
That level of investment demands infrastructure built to last — and built smart from the ground up.
Part Plan A
Part Plan B
Part Plan C
The Brief
The project involved three large industrial buildings (Buildings A, B, and C as pictured above) across the Marsden Point site, designed by HFC Group for building consent. The ground floor plans called for a suspended timber floor system — bearers and joists over a void — across a combined footprint of just over 2,050 m².
The challenge: ground conditions at Marsden Point vary across TC1/TC2/TC3 classifications, and the design needed a foundation system that could handle load distribution across a large, irregular footprint while accommodating site-level adjustability and the practical realities of a working industrial site.
QPOD was specified for all three buildings.
The Solution
The QPOD 300 system replaced a conventional mass concrete or pile foundation approach entirely.
Across the three buildings, the install comprised:
- 4,694 × QPOD 300mm pods (545 × 545 × 300mm)
- 1,086 × QPOD 300mm extenders
- 116 × QPOD 300mm end caps
- 1,521 × QPOD 300mm spacers
What 4,694 Pods Actually Means
The QPOD 300 is manufactured from recycled polypropylene. Every unit — pods, extenders, end caps, spacers — diverts post-consumer plastic from landfill or ocean waste streams.
For this project, the total recycled content across all components is equivalent to approximately 469,000 recycled plastic bottles.
Broken down by component:
| Component | Qty | Bottles per unit | Bottles diverted |
|---|---|---|---|
| QPOD 300 pod | 4,694 | 89 | 417,766 |
| Extender | 1,086 | 38 | 41,268 |
| End cap | 116 | 7 | 812 |
| 300mm spacer | 1,521 | 6 | 9,126 |
| Total | ~469,000 |
For a project of this scale — over 2,000 m² of foundation — that’s a material circularity story with genuine numbers behind it.
Why QPOD over conventional alternatives
For large-footprint industrial builds on sites like Marsden Point — flat, variable ground conditions, active infrastructure nearby — the QPOD system offers several practical advantages:
Adjustability. The extender system allows adjustment across irregular fill levels without bespoke engineering for every zone. HFC Group’s drawings show multiple slab levels across the three buildings, accommodating existing site levels with extenders rather than variable hardfill depths.
Load distribution. The QPOD 300 is CodeMark-certified and independently load-tested.
Quantified environmental performance. Recycled content is documented per component by weight. For projects pursuing green star ratings, consent documentation, or sustainability reporting, the data exists and is auditable.