BigLift Shipping will sail the prefabricated base from New Zealand to Antarctica on an MC-Class Vessel – an ice-strengthened heavy module carrier, specifically designed to operate in remote and inaccessible areas, like Antarctica.
Mammoet’s self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs) will move the new base onto the ship in Timaru, New Zealand, 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’s 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. “The versatile SPMTs have tremendous power yet can be manoeuvred with millimetre precision so that each section of the new station will be perfectly aligned when we set it down,” he says.
