“We can't wait until the second season because there wouldn't be a way of getting it ashore, so we have to be very organised,” says Seaton. “We have to take lots of spares with us because it can take quite a long time to get spares, but also if there are big parts, then it’s very difficult to get them there.”

Offloading times at Rothera can be lengthy and the existing wharf is no stranger to disruption due to inclement weather – particularly when it comes to ice. BAS has a full-time weather specialist and ‘observers’ on-site to monitor ice thickness, but it’s still difficult to predict when berthing operations will be suspended.

“The ice is an interesting one because you just don't know what's going to happen,” he says. “Some seasons there can be quite a lot of bergs, and of all different sizes.

“We may have months where we have no issues at all, and then we may find there are some weeks where we have to react to ice constantly. On average, our programme takes account of a certain amount of ice disruption. If we have a particularly bad year, then we could be delayed.”

Building a new wharf on a steep underwater slope is a challenge in itself, let alone doing so while a busy airport continues to operate next door.

“It is a tight site and there is not much space to accommodate some very large plant, as well as the laydown areas for materials,” says Seaton. “The runway is right next to the water so it means we can't have tall cranes with their booms up with the planes taking off and landing.”

Construction of the wharf is primarily being carried out across the Antarctic summers, when the station experiences sunlight for up to 24 hours a day. However, construction staff will also need to take regular breaks to get warm and boost their calorie intake.

The construction must also adhere to strict environmental standards. BAS submitted a comprehensive evaluation to the Antarctic Committee for Environmental Protection earlier this year. Seaton says the plan significantly reduces the amount of underwater blasting and drilling work, and stipulates a 1.2km exclusion zone where no underwater noise will be permitted when mammals and birds are within its radius.

“There are no concreting operations on site, just some grout bags,” he adds. “We are using locally won aggregate rather than importing foreign material. We are setting up a number of monitoring stations so we can assess the impact of dust and noise.”

The biggest challenge, however, will be ensuring that around 100 staff living and working at Rothera do not see operations hindered by the wharf’s construction. Cargo ships deliver food, fuel and cargo too large to be transported via air several times a year, while rigid-hulled inflatable boats are deployed to collect samples to aid scientific research.

“We still have to refuel the station and carry out station relief,” says Seaton. “This will be done using the temporary jetty we are going to construct in South Cove, but we will have to use cargo tender and also pump fuel from the ship using a lay-flat hose on the water all the way to the fuel farm.”

BAS has developed a comprehensive station integration plan, including daily site briefings to ensure scientists and station staff are kept abreast of developments. Blasting works will also be carefully controlled and timed in agreement with the station.

Once completed, the new wharf is set to offer long-lasting benefits for Rothera. The larger RRS SDA vessel has been built to carry more cargo, and is set reduce the station’s relief time from four days to two, thereby freeing up the ship to carry out more scientific activities.

The new wharf will also introduce a larger crane for launching small boats, a personnel gangway, and a floating pontoon for deploying scientific instruments such as gliders. Recycled materials will be used in the wider modernisation programme at Rothera, including the construction of new buildings, an improved airport hangar and a landing strip.

The Rothera research station is just a small part of the UK’s overall investment in polar research, its largest in Antarctic and Arctic infrastructure since the 1980s. And the RRS SDA is the tip of the iceberg. For Seaton, many aspects of the build are ‘fingers crossed’, but he seems confident about its success, and says that it could provide important logistic lessons for future station renovations.

“It’s a fantastic project and it’s very challenging, but we've got a very good team, so I’m looking forward to seeing how it works,” he concludes.