Antarctic voyage echoes history
Comments Off on Antarctic voyage echoes historyAntarctica New Zealand and Leighs Construction Ltd are joining forces with global logistics companies BigLift Shipping and Mammoet to transport Aotearoaâs new home 3720km across the Southern Ocean to the ice.
Antarctica New Zealand Project Director for the Scott Base Redevelopment Jon Ager says the new base will safeguard New Zealandâs world-leading scientific research program and presence in Antarctica for another +50 years.
âWeâre delighted to be working with Leighs Construction to harness the knowledge and expertise of BigLift Shipping and Mammoet. These companies have a wealth of experience on complex projects in challenging environmentsâ, he says.
BigLift Shipping will sail the prefabricated base from PrimePort Timaru to Pram Point, Ross Island on the back of an MC-Class Vessel in four yearsâ time.
The landmark voyage will echo New Zealandâs 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 Development Manager Mark van den Berg says BigLift Shipping is pleased to be contracted for the ocean transportation of the modules for the new Scott Base.
âWe look forward to working with all partners of the Scott Base Redevelopment to make this interesting and challenging project a successâ, he says.
The 20,675t,173m vessel will bypass the usual offload point at the United Statesâ McMurdo Station and sail directly to Pram Point, where Scott Base is situated â itâs the first time that a ship of this size will moor at Aotearoaâs only Antarctic station.
Mammoetâs self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs) 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.
Mammoet Global Segment Lead of Transport and Logistics Reinder de Haan says the installation method is as robust as possible, with the highest priority given to safety and operational redundancy.
âThe versatile SPMTs have tremendous power, yet can be maneuvered with millimeter precision so that each section of the new station will be perfectly aligned when we set it downâ, he says.
Supply mission complete
The first chartered vessel for the project, BigLiftâs Happy Delta, arrived in McMurdo Sound last month to deliver around 870,000kg of cargo for the redevelopment.
âDelivery of heavy plant and machinery is a major milestone for the project. After years of design and planning, it is great to be moving into the most exciting phase of the project for Leighs Construction â the physical works,â says Leighs Construction Project Director Iain Miller.
Infrastructure, machinery and equipment were offloaded at McMurdo Station with the support of the United States Antarctic Program and the New Zealand Defence Force.
A comprehensive environmental monitoring program is underway to ensure any impacts to the environment are minimized through the redevelopment.
Construction will begin at PrimePort Timaru mid-2023, allowing three and a half years to build, test and commission the new base before its voyage south.
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