Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation Programme (AIMP) continues at pace
AIMP is a major Government long-term investment in polar infrastructure which will keep Britain at the forefront of world-leading research in the polar regions. It will serve generations of UK and international scientists to come.
Modernising Rothera, the largest UK polar research station built in 1975, will significantly update our Antarctic research capability. It will improve our resilience and safety and secures our ability to maintain a year-round presence on the station.
What have we achieved during this season?
- Resurfaced the runway
- Installed new lighting
- Installed the operations tower
- Began internal works on the Discovery Building
- Installed heat recovery generators
Discovery Building
- The Discovery Building is a new world-class scientific support and operations facility at Rothera Research Station in Antarctica
- It has been designed with the future in mind and our commitment to lower carbon emissions.
- We are committed to making sure the long-term impact of the Discovery Building on the Antarctic environment is minimal.
- It’s the largest UK government investment in polar science (NERC) after the new polar ship.
- The building is flexible, modern and purpose-built with both bespoke and multi-functional areas. It makes efficient use of space.
- It offers state of the art/hugely improved communications with air and field operations.
Runway resurfacing & lighting
- A major achievement (of the 2023/4 season) was resurfacing Rothera’s runway for the first time in over 30 years.
- New energy efficient lighting and supporting infrastructure was successfully installed in the 22/23 season.
- The runway has been resurfaced in the most sustainable way possible.
- We have upgraded the runway at Rothera research station by improving the surface to reduce flooding and increasing drainage and new energy-efficient lighting.
- We have improved the airfield infrastructure with a modern user interface control system, a new turnpad improving airfield efficiency, and additional ducting underneath the runway for future infrastructure.
- This project will help the science and operations teams to continue to stay safe and will offer easier access to the runway. It will also mean that we can continue to offer aircraft facilities to ferry cargo, scientists and support staff to research stations in the region.
Renewable Energy
- The Renewable Energy project aims to identify the road map to transition the current energy system to renewable energy technology over the next 10 years and includes the installation of building mounted solar PV panels, a battery storage and smart grid system and trial further technologies that could reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, such as ground mounted solar panels and air source heat pumps.
- Decarbonising Rothera Research Station in a sustainable way presents a number of challenges working in such a remote location with extreme weather conditions and sensitive ecology.
- Various technologies have been considered to deliver the core energy needs of Rothera Research Station.
Sustainability
- Sustainability underpins everything we do on the modernisation programme.
- We consider carefully the impact of major construction on the environment, the community and our science in the Antarctic.
Net Zero
- By replacing old inefficient infrastructure with sustainable technologies and buildings, our ambition is to reduce carbon emissions in our Antarctic stations and Cambridge office to net zero by 2040.