About Rothera Wharf
The first phase of Rothera Research Station Modernisation was to rebuild and extend Rothera Wharf to accommodate the new and larger polar ship, the RRS Sir David Attenborough.
Construction on the new £40m Rothera Wharf began in November 2018 and was completed by April 2020. A specialist team built the 74 metre wharf over 18 months during the Antarctic summer seasons (November to May).
Our construction partners BAM, along with designers Sweco and technical advisors Ramboll, successfully completed the wharf project with a team of 50 professionals. Turner & Townsend managed the costs throughout the project.
Benefits of new Rothera Wharf
Rothera Wharf Final Season (2019-2020)
The season started in November 2019 with the team clearing around 2000 tonnes of snow as the site was not operational during the dark Antarctic Winter. The wharf’s remaining 14 out of 20 steel frames that form the wharf’s skeleton were put in place and backfilled with rock, securing the structure.
The first ships, including the RRS James Clark Ross, moored at the new wharf in April 2020.
Rothera Wharf First Season (2018-2019)
During the first season, the old Biscoe wharf was taken apart in January 2019. Temporary cargo unloading and boat launch facilities were set up. The first steel frames of the new wharf were lowered into place.
Building a new wharf in one of the world’s most remote locations presented a number of challenges. Every nut and bolt needed to be accounted for and the 4,500 tonnes of equipment was shipped 11,000km from the UK to Antarctica.
The construction team practiced full-scale assembly of the 45 tonne steel frames in Southampton to identify unexpected challenges or additional pieces of equipment needed whilst still in the UK.
The Rothera Wharf upgrade project aims to
Enabling operational efficiency
Support world-class research by streamlining station relief and cargo operations, reducing ship turnaround times and maximising research capacity. This optimised approach ensures both the station and vessels can dedicate more time to their primary mission: advancing UK polar science and logistics with maximum effectiveness.
Improving ship and boating operations
Rebuilding the wharf to accommodate the RRS Sir David Attenborough and reduce manual handling cargo loading/unloading time during station relief to allow the ship to spend more time on research cruises.
Improve small boating facilities for marine research, including a larger crane for launching small boats, a personnel gangway and a floating pontoon for the deployment of scientific instruments such as gliders.
Senior Air Infrastructure Project Manager
AIMP, Meet the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme Team
Assistant Project Manager AIMP
AIMP, Meet the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme Team
Our in-house project management, operational and logistics teams are working closely with external partners to deliver the modernisation projects at BAS’s Antarctic research stations.
BAM Nuttall is British Antarctic Survey’s construction partner for the Rothera modernisation projects.
Ramboll is British Antarctic Survey’s technical advisor, supporting a number of projects in the Antarctic.
9 December, 2024 by Madeline De Marchis
Poo isn’t usually what first comes to mind when thinking of Antarctica, we tend to imagine the frozen landscape, vast expanses of white, ice sheets, and penguins. Yet, poo is …
22 July, 2024 by Eliot Perez
For some people, working in Antarctica is a lifelong dream. For others, like Eliot Perez, Assistant Project Manager for the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme, that dream became a reality nine …
19 May, 2023 by Connie Pang
Connie Pang is a Senior Structural Engineer at Ramboll and travelled to Antarctica this year to work as the Site Supervisor for the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme. Here she looks …
27 January, 2022 by Joseph Stebbing
Joe Stebbing, Assistant Project Manager, AIMP at British Antarctic Survey on how we are meeting our (supply chain) milestones. January has marked a momentous milestone for the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation …
21 December, 2021 by Christopher Robert Lloyd
Christopher Robert Lloyd, Contract Manager for Ramboll, will be working in Antarctica on constructing the new scientific support facility at Rothera, the Discovery Building. He first travelled to Antarctica in …
23 November, 2021 by Livia Oldland
The new science and operations facility at Rothera Research Station, the Discovery Building, has a unique design to meet the challenges of living and working in Antarctica, along with helping …
23 July, 2021 by Natalia Ford
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23 June, 2021 by Jon Ager
Jon Ager joined British Antarctic Survey as Director of the UK Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme in 2019, after serving for almost 35 years in the Royal Air Force and aerospace …
23 June, 2021 by Katie Handford
This International Women in Engineering Day 2021, Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme Trainee Project Manager Katie Handford shares her journey into polar engineering. I started in high school designing, building and racing 24V electrically powered …
12 March, 2021 by Christopher Robert Lloyd
Christopher Robert Lloyd, Site Supervisor for Ramboll, is currently working in Antarctica constructing the new scientific support facility at Rothera, the Discovery Building. He travelled to Antarctica in December 2020 …
15 February, 2021 by Livia Oldland
Billy Thursfield, Sub-Agent for BAM, is currently working on the construction of the new science and operations facility at Rothera Research Station, the Discovery Building. Here he reflects on working …
14 January, 2021 by Christopher Robert Lloyd
During this year’s construction season at Rothera Research Station, the team begins the second season of erecting a state-of-the-art science and operations facility, The Discovery Building. This vital piece of …
15 January, 2025
Welcome to our fourth Postcard from Rothera Research Station, giving you an update on the latest progress as we modernise our largest station in Antarctica. Modernisation progress The season is …
9 November, 2024
Welcome to our second Postcard from Rothera Research Station, giving you an update on progress as we modernise our largest station in Antarctica. Start of Summer The recent arrival …
4 November, 2024
A new season of construction is underway in Antarctica for the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). Specialist teams are arriving at Rothera, the UK’s largest research station and gateway for international …
29 February, 2024
We’ve been modernising our Antarctic infrastructure for future generations of polar scientists. Construction in the Antarctic is challenging and the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme (AIMP) has made great progress at …
27 November, 2023
Construction has begun in Antarctica for the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) with specialists arriving at Rothera Research Station to progress several projects to secure the future of polar operations and …
19 October, 2023
The Antarctic field season has started, with over 600 people beginning the journey South to work on over 60 projects on station and in the field. The season of work …
12 May, 2023
Modernising Antarctic Infrastructure for Future Generations of Polar Scientists Specialist construction teams are travelling home to the UK after five months of work in Antarctica to modernise British Antarctic Survey …
17 December, 2021
Britain’s new polar research vessel, the RRS Sir David Attenborough, has travelled to Antarctica on its maiden voyage, with its first call today (17 December) at Rothera Research Station – …
7 December, 2021
A full trial assembly of a specialist air communications tower for a British Antarctic Research Station has been constructed this autumn in Scotland, ahead of its shipping to Antarctica this month. …
28 October, 2021
RRS Sir David Attenborough visits London as pre-COP event ahead of first mission to Antarctica. The UK’s new polar research ship is making its London debut in Greenwich (Thursday 28 October …
21 July, 2021
British Antarctic Survey and the partners delivering the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme are finalists for this year’s British Construction Industry (BCI) Awards in the ‘Partnership Initiative of the Year’ category. …
13 May, 2021
Award reflects project’s excellent environmental approach to biodiversity and sustainability. A new 74 metre wharf at British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) Rothera Research Station has achieved the first CEEQUAL award in …
23 March, 2021
Construction expert BAM Nuttall, with design consultants Sweco, have won a tender for a new 10-year partnership to take forward an ambitious programme to modernise the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) …
19 March, 2021
A specialist construction team is making the 11,000km journey home to the UK after successfully completing the groundworks for a new state-of-the-art polar research building at British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) …
11 January, 2021
The next stage of building a scientific support facility in Antarctica begins this week [11 January 2020]. To avoid the risk of introducing COVID-19 to British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) Rothera …
16 April, 2020
A new £40 million wharf to moor the RRS Sir David Attenborough has been used by polar ships for the first time at British Antarctic Survey’s Rothera Research Station in …
30 January, 2020
In commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the first sighting of Antarctica by the British naval officer Edward Bransfield on this date in 1820, a new building to facilitate the …
16 January, 2020
Engineering, design and consultancy company Ramboll has been re-appointed as Technical Advisors for British Antarctic Survey (BAS), successfully winning the next phase of work in a series of projects to …
19 December, 2019
A major modernisation programme at British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) Rothera Research Station begins its second ‘summer season’ this month with the arrival of a 60-plus person team from BAM. Construction …
21 May, 2019
ANTARCTICA: At the onset of the Antarctic winter British Antarctic Survey’s (BAS) Rothera Research Station bids farewell to 50 construction workers. They have spent the last six months building the …
13 March, 2019
A major milestone has been reached in the construction of a new wharf at Rothera Research Station. The first of 20 steel frames, forming the skeleten of the new structure, has been lowered into place in a piece of precision engineering.
14 January, 2019
First digging has begun to deconstruct the old wharf at Rothera Research Station as part of modernisation work to transform the way British Antarctic Survey delivers frontier science
18 December, 2018
British Antarctic Survey is seeking to purchase a small passenger aircraft to work alongside its de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Series 110 (Dash 7). The aircraft will transport science and support teams and cargo between Rothera Research Station on the Antarctic Peninsula and Punta Arenas, Chile.
23 November, 2018
The DS Wisconsin departs for Antarctica loaded with 4,500 tonnes of kit required to build the new Rothear Wharf
26 September, 2018
The construction team responsible for building a new Antarctic wharf at Rothera Research Station have been practicing full-scale assembly of the 30 tonne steel rigs in Southampton before deployment South. …
4 January, 2017
Construction expert BAM has been chosen to partner with British Antarctic Survey (BAS) to modernise UK Antarctic and other research facilities, enabling British scientists to continue delivering world class research …
