BAM has teamed up with design consultant Sweco for the project, which will enable British scientists to continue conducting specialist research into environmental sciences and climate change.
Commissioned by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), this UK partnership will last between seven and 10 years and is worth an estimated £100m.
One of the first projects to be undertaken is the redevelopment of the wharf at the BAS Rothera Research Station on the Antarctic Peninsula. This is part of the enhancement of polar facilities to accommodate the new polar research vessel the RRS Sir David Attenborough (aka Boaty McBoatface).
BAM companies will build a new wharf, storage and living quarters at Rothera Research Station. Other Antarctic development projects that will be undertaken include modernising buildings and facilities at BAS stations in Signy (South Orkney Islands), Bird Island (South Georgia) and at King Edward Point (South Georgia).
BAM expects the Antarctic construction projects to present unique challenges given the dry, cold, windy conditions. Most construction work will need to be completed during a four-month window of the Antarctic summer. Construction workers will live and work alongside science teams in harsh and remote environments, sometimes in sub-zero temperatures.
The project will be delivered by BAM Nuttall, BAM’s UK civil engineering contractor, and BAM International.
BAM Nuttall chief executive Stephen Fox said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this prestigious contract from NERC and very much look forward to partnering with the technical and operational teams at British Antarctic Survey. The opportunity to apply our skills and capability in remote environmentally sensitive gives our delivery team a unique and rewarding experience. This project will provide a great opportunity to showcase British innovation in digital design and manufacture.”
BAS director of operations Captain Tim Stockings said: “This is an exciting moment for polar science. We are about to embark on a partnership to deliver a modernised Antarctic capability, which will involve changes to all five of our Antarctic research stations. This crucial work will enable our scientists to continue addressing issues of global importance. This investment means also that we can continue to improve our operational capability in the polar regions and in the UK.”
NERC chief executive Duncan Wingham said: “The polar regions, although geographically remote, are of equal importance in our drive to understand how the Earth is changing. NERC science in Antarctica plays an important role in meeting this challenge. Working with BAM and design partner Sweco, on this long-term approach to modernising our infrastructure in the Antarctic, we will jointly foster and further build the UK’s high level of expertise, experience and good practices for working in challenging design and construction environments."
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