Expedition AntarCtiC
THE “Polarstern“
Expedition Antarctica
Dismantling of the Neumayer Sesearch Station
After almost 11 years of operation, the Neumayer Research Station at the South Pole must go. Threatening to the deformation of the ice shelf and continuous snow accumulation the station had grown obsolete.
The departure into the Antarctic ice is scheduled for the Christmas holidays. The stay will last a total of three months.
During this time, the Antarctic summer, the disassembled station is transported in 34 shipping containers to a depot near the ice shelf edge where it was loaded onto a ship. The overall project is a challenge for the employees. A special crew is chosen to withstand the physical and mental stress of such as mission.
The crossing alone with the research vessel „Polarstern“ from Cape Town to the edge of the ice shelf takes 2 weeks.
The challenge: Only one shipping container
The existing station had to be dismantled under heavy load. The special weather conditions and remote location make comprehensive project management and planning a priority. A critical project element included: all necessary tools, materials and equipment must fit into a 20’ shipping container. Every single item is carefully planned and packed.
Special order: Arctic Transportation Sleds
Trendelkamp designed and build two arctic transportation sleds specifically for the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research. One sled transports a 15,000 liter fuel container. The other sled, with a heavy duty slide unit, accommodates load capacities in excess of 30 tons to transport 10’ and 20’ containers.
The Gerog-von-Neumayer-Station was built in 1981/82 on the Ekström-Ice Shelf at Atka-Bay. The snow that fell on it finally laid it so deep in the ice that it had to be replaced in 1992 by the Neumayer station 10 km to the south-east.
