Contractors return to Antarctica

Specialists have arrived at Rothera Research Station for several projects to secure the future of polar operations and research for the Natural Environment Research Council.

In a first for the Antarctic infrastructure modernisation programme (AIMP), some of the construction team, along with British Antarctic Survey team members, will be working through the Austral or Antarctic winter, known as ‘wintering’.

The programme forms part of the UK government’s long-term investment in Polar research,  delivered in partnership with Bam, Ramboll and Sweco.

Eight construction team members will be stationed at Rothera for seven months during Antarctica's winter season from May through to November, in which some periods are spent in 24-hour darkness, with harsh polar weather.

The season will see the team take further steps towards completion of Rothera’s science and operations facility – the Discovery Building – as much of the mechanical & electrical installation and internal fit-out is carried out. Across the next six months, teams will also be installing windows, completing flashings and finalising most of the cross-site utility works.

During the upcoming season, teams will start critical work to resurface Rothera’s runway, which has been in operation for more than 30 years. This is expected to be completed by spring 2024.

There are more 100 construction specialists working on the project this season, with around a third of the team returning from previous years. The team consists of civil and structural engineers, as well as mechanical and electrical trades for the internal fit-out of the new building.

British Antarctic Survey  (BAS) has commissioned a team of its scientists to conduct a pre-construction environmental baselining survey for an infrastructure project. The findings from this survey will help inform future work requirements in the region.

Elen Jones, Antarctic infrastructure modernisation programme director at the British Antarctic Survey, said: “Following last season’s success, we’re gearing up for another important construction season for BAS and the Antarctic infrastructure modernisation programme. We are continually upgrading and improving our infrastructure at Rothera to make sure that the valuable and vital scientific research and support in this critical region can continue for the next generation. For the first time during the modernisation programme, some members of our team will be wintering at Rothera; experiencing something that very few people in the world can say that they have done. We’re immensely proud of their commitment and are excited to see us approaching the final stages of the Discovery Building as well as progressing key elements of our other projects.”

Bam project director Graham Hopper said: “The start of the new season brings a whole host of new challenges and an exciting next chapter in the development of Rothera. Planning and preparing for work like this requires a monumental effort from all the partners. We’ve been fortunate to work as a partnership for a number of years now, and the excellent progress we’ve made during that time is a testament to each of the partners.”

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