UK construction firm BAM Nuttall has landed a major £8.15 million contract to build a new wharf at the Sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia.

The wharf will enhance the safety and efficiency of ship operations at King Edward Point (KEP) Research Station.

Construction work on site is envisaged to be undertaken between January and May 2020. Site supervision, engineering and project management support is being provided to BAS by its Technical Advisor Ramboll.

The station, owned by the Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI) and operated by British Antarctic Survey (BAS), provides critical research to support sustainable management of the marine environment and living resources in this biodiversity hotspot in the Southern Ocean. The wharf, concept design by Ramboll and engineered design by BAM, will see the existing structure extended to last another 50 years, and an additional "dolphin" added.

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Engineering consultancy Ramboll and construction expert BAM were chosen to partner with British Antarctic Survey (BAS) to modernise UK Antarctic and other research facilities, enabling British scientists to continue delivering world class research into some of the most important issues facing our planet. This is the second South Georgia project for the companies. Last year they successfully completed the refurbishment of nearby BAS Bird Island Research Station.

The Antarctic Infrastructure Modernisation (AIM) Programme will transform how British Antarctic Survey enables and supports frontier science. Commissioned by the NERC, this long-term programme will enable a world-leading capability to ensure that Britain remains at the forefront of climate, biodiversity and ocean research in the Polar regions. Together with the commissioning of the RRS Sir David Attenborough, this modernisation programme represents the largest UK Government investment in polar science infrastructure since the 1980s.