New Scott Base research station set to sail for Antarctica in 2027
Impression of the redeveloped Scott Base (Photo credit: Hugh Broughton Architects)
The date has been set and the ship booked for the new Scott Base research station’s completion and 3720-kilometre journey to Antarctica.
The New Zealand government, through the Antarctica New Zealand institute, is set to establish a new research station on Antarctica in January 2027, 70 years after the original station commenced operations in 1957 during Sir Edmund Hillary’s expedition to the frozen continent.
Project director for the Scott Base redevelopment and former Royal Air Force Air Commodore, Jon Ager, says the new base will “safeguard New Zealand’s world-leading scientific research programme and presence in Antarctica” for another 50 plus years.
“We’re delighted to be working with Leighs Construction to harness the knowledge and expertise of BigLift Shipping and Mammoet,” Ager said.
Photo credit: Antarctica NZ Swiss engineering company Gurit has been charged with the construction of the new Scott Base in cooperation with UK-based Hugh Broughton Architects (HBA). The facility will be of modular construction to allow for ease of transport and re-assembly at the site some 3,720 kilometres south of Christchurch. Durability features will ensure the station can withstand
harsh conditions such as outside air temperatures of as low as minus 60 degrees Celsius and wind speeds of up to 140
knots.The redevelopment of Scott Base will replace the existing base with three interconnected buildings and upgrade the Ross Island Wind Energy system.
Ager said BigLift will sail the prefabricated base from Timaru to Pram Point, Ross Island on the back of a 20,675 metric tonne, 173-metre-long MC-Class vessel in four years’ time.
“Construction will begin at PrimePort Timaru mid-2023, allowing three and a half years to build, test and commission the new base before its journey south.
“The landmark voyage will echo New Zealand’s Antarctic history: the original Scott Base consisted of prefabricated buildings delivered on the HMNZS Endeavour when the research station was established.”
The MC-Class vessel is an ice- strengthened heavy module carrier, specifically designed to operate in remote and inaccessible areas, like Antarctica. BigLift Shipping commercial and business
128 | The Report • June 2023 • Issue 104
development manager Mark van den Berg says the company is pleased to be contracted for the ocean transportation of the modules for the new Scott Base.
“We look forward to working with all partners of the Scott Base redevelopment to make this interesting and challenging project a success,” van den Berg said.
The vessel will bypass the usual offload point at McMurdo Station and sail directly to Pram Point, where Scott Base is situated – it’s the first time that a ship of this size will moor at Aotearoa’s only Antarctic station. Mammoet is the company providing self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs) that will move the new base onto the ship in Timaru and off again in Antarctica. The three interconnected buildings will be separated into eight modules (each about 800 metric tonnes), sealed, and welded onto the vessel for the journey. The first chartered vessel for the redevelopment, BigLift’s Happy Delta, arrived in McMurdo Sound recently to deliver around 870,000 kg of cargo for the redevelopment.
“Delivery of heavy plant and machinery is a major milestone for
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