The outer shell of the new R200-million Marion Island base has been completed.

All that remains for the five-year project is to wrap up the interior of the buildings, such as installation of the air-conditioning system, erecting partitions and completing the electrical wiring and plumbing. The development is a Department of Public Works project.



Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (Deat) Antarctica and Islands assistant director and Marion Island project leader Adriaan Dreyer says the new base should, accord- ing to current planning, open its doors in April next year, in time for the next overwintering team to take up residence.



Until now, work on the base has faced logistical difficulties, as a combination of inclement weather and limited availability of ships from Deat allowed for limited construction windows.



Apart from the first year in 2003, when the construction period was 104 days, the average construction period for 2004, 2005 and 2006 was only 150 days each year. One must also consider that the average temperature on the island is 6 �C, says Dreyer.



Wind speeds in excess of 80 km/h, and up to 150 km/h, are often recorded, with constant rainfall (2,5 m a year), snow and ice pellets also thrown into the mix.



However, as the remainder of work is due to take place indoors, construction is set to continue throughout the rest of the year, up to April next year.



The construction team currently on Marion Island will continue its work until August, when a new team will take over.



Dreyer says the old base on the island will be dismantled and returned to South Africa.



“We’ll keep the old base operational for at least a year, though, to make sure the new one lives up to expectations.”



The new base replaces and consolidates the scattered buildings of the existing facility that grew in an add-on way over the past 40 years, and is now reaching the end of its life cycle.



The new base will be able to house a 20-person year-team, and 80 people in summer. (The current base hosts a year-team of 12 people, with up to 64 people descending on the island in summer.)



The outer shell of the new facility was built on a megastructure-type system that adheres to national building standards, and also caters for the disabled.



Glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) panels, boasting good insulation properties, were used for the external walls.



It is the first time that such large panels were manufactured in South Africa, says Dreyer.



The new base consists of seven main buildings and, because it is occupied by South Africans, also a small braai room, with a beautiful view from panoramic windows, says Dreyer.



Enclosed walkways interlink the various buildings.



The base spreads across 4 928 m2, with the covered area totalling 3 976 m2.



The hangar at the base supports two Super Puma helicopters, a workshop area, an emergency first-aid area and an emergency base for 12 people.



The technical centre houses the cargo-handling area, the South Africa Weather Service’s equipment, and a technical section supporting bulk water supply and power generation.



The base is powered by three diesel Perkins generators, with four uninterruptible power units on standby.



The living centre has a kitchen, dining room, pantry, bar, games room and cinema. The science block is a double-storey building with conference rooms and laboratories. The recreation room houses a gym, sauna, and jacuzzi.



A reception area, medical centre, sleeping quarters and the central hub with its offices, radio room, telephone booths and operational control room make up the remainder of the base.



In total, the base has 843 light fittings, and 1 350 power points.



Water for the base originates from a dam situated 2,4 km north-west of the base, through a newly installed 160-mm pipeline.



Marion Island will also soon feature nine new fully equipped four-person field huts, to be placed in position around the island during this year.