Koninklijke BAM Groep : BAM chosen as construction partner to modernise Antarctic infrastructure

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Bunnik, the Netherlands, 4 January 2017 - Construction expert BAM has been 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. BAM has teamed up with major European design consultants Sweco to assist with project delivery.

Commissioned by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), this long-term UK partnership will last between 7-10 years and is worth an estimated approximately €120 million (£100 million). The modernisation 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.

One of the first projects to be undertaken is the redevelopment of the wharf at the BAS Rothera Research Station on the Antarctic Peninsula. This is part of the enhancement of polar facilities to accommodate the new state-of-the-art polar research vessel the RRS Sir David Attenborough.

In addition to building a new wharf, storage and living quarters at Rothera Research Station, other Antarctic development projects that will be undertaken include modernising buildings and facilities at BAS stations in Signy (South Orkney Islands), Bird Island (South Georgia) and at King Edward Point (South Georgia).

The Antarctic construction projects will present unique challenges given the continent is the highest, driest, coldest and windiest on Earth, and most construction work will need to be completed during the four-month window of the Antarctic summer. Construction workers will live and work alongside science teams in harsh and remote environments, sometimes in sub-zero temperatures.

The project will be delivered by BAM's British civil engineer BAM Nuttall and BAM International, the operating company of Royal BAM Group active outside Europe.

Further information:

Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)

NERC is the UK's main agency for funding and managing research, training and knowledge exchange in the environmental sciences. Our work covers the full range of atmospheric, Earth, biological, terrestrial and aquatic science, from the deep oceans to the upper atmosphere and from the poles to the equator. We co-ordinate some of the world's most exciting research projects, tackling major issues such as climate change, environmental influences on human health, the genetic make-up of life on Earth, and much more. NERC is a non-departmental public body. We receive around £330m of annual funding from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

British Antarctic Survey (BAS)

BAS, an institute of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), delivers and enables world-leading interdisciplinary research in the Polar Regions. Its skilled science and support staff based in Cambridge, Antarctica and the Arctic, work together to deliver research that uses the Polar Regions to advance our understanding of Earth as a sustainable planet. Through its extensive logistic capability and know-how BAS facilitates access for the British and international science community to the UK polar research operation. Numerous national and international collaborations, combined with an excellent infrastructure help sustain a world leading position for the UK in Antarctic affairs. For more information visit www.bas.ac.uk

BAM

Royal BAM Group has a rich history in all aspects of construction services. Established in 1869 Royal BAM Group has a turnover of about € 7.4 billion (2015) while employing over 21,000 people worldwide. These services include general building, marine works, infrastructure, tunnelling and industrial projects. Furthermore, BAM has a strong presence in public-private partnership projects. Operating company BAM International brings the construction and construction-related services of BAM outside its home countries; BAM Nuttall is the UK civil engineering specialist of the Group.
BAM brings innovative solutions to complex situations with great flexibility and high levels of quality, safety and corporate social responsibility.