First components of Belarus’ Antarctic station to be delivered to Antarctica in December

The first components of the Belarusian Antarctic station will be delivered to Antarctica and unloaded at the Russian Antarctic station Molodezhnaya in mid-December 2014, Deputy Head of the National Center for Polar Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, head of the Belarusian Antarctic expedition Alexei Gaidashov told BelTA.

“The deadlines for delivering the first components for the construction of the Belarusian Antarctic station have been finalized today at the meeting of the Belarus-Russia working group tasked to implement the agreement on bilateral cooperation in Antarctica,” Alexei Gaidashov said.

In his words, the research vessel Akademik Fyodorov will leave for Antarctica from Saint Petersburg on 1 November. The vessel will approach the continent near the area where the Belarusian Antarctic expedition is stationed (near Mount Vechernyaya). After that, a helicopter will take individual components of the future station ashore.

The vessel will also carry the participants of the 7th Belarusian Antarctic expedition, fuel, gear and foodstuffs. “The expedition will last for about 3.5 months. The Belarusian Antarctic team will conduct preparatory works related to the construction of the Belarusian Antarctic station, like assembly of foundations for the subsequent mounting of structural modules,” Alexei Gaidashov said.

He emphasized that the Russian partners have confirmed their readiness to provide organizational and logistic support during the construction of the station.

The Belarus-Russia working group tasked to implement the agreement on bilateral cooperation in Antarctica convened in Minsk on 15-16 July. The group assessed the work done and discussed cooperation prospects.

The plan of the Belarusian Antarctic station construction was drafted in 2012 upon the instruction of the Council of Ministers, approved by the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection and agreed with the Finance Ministry. The first phase of the station will be built by 2018. The facility will consist of 8-10 modules and will have everything polar researchers might need.