China starts construction of its new Antarctic base's main structure

The unloading and transfer of building materials for China's fifth scientific research station in Antarctic are proceeding smoothly along the coastal areas of the Ross Sea, despite heavy snowfall starting Friday.

The hoisting of the first of the six longest steel columns of the station's main structure was completed on Saturday, marking the start of the construction of the new station's main structure.

The members of the 40th Antarctic expedition team have started to build the country's fifth Antarctic scientific research station this month. They are taking multiple measures to ensure that the building materials and other supplies can be safely unloaded from ships and transferred to designated sites.

"Wooden boards are laid onto barges, with life jackets and safety belts all in place. During the operation, we will slow down the pace of running, unloading and towing," said Wang Zhechao, captain of the new research station team of China's 40th Antarctic expedition.

"Through the test of several barges, this approach has proven effective. Other safety measures are also taken in time," Wang said.

After a 36-day voyage, the cargo vessel Tianhui on December 7 arrived at the Inexpressible Island in Terra Nova Bay on the Ross Sea, where the new research station will sit, and began unloading building materials from its four cabins.

The vessel carries more than 9,300 tonnes of cargo including heavy machinery, sandstones, steel frames, metal wall panels and daily supplies. Now the unloading work is well underway.

"We have made a lot of preparations, including getting local weather forecasts from various channels," said Zhou Renxiao, assistant to the leader of China's 40th Antarctic expedition.

"There are also multiple emergency plans. So far, we have unloaded three fourths of the cargo aboard, and the unloading speed is faster than expected. It goes very smoothly," Zhou said.

It is expected to take around two months to complete the construction project. The station is designed to accommodate 80 researchers to conduct scientific atmospheric, oceanic, biological and ecological observation and research. The new base will be China's third permanent research station in the Antarctic after the Great Wall and Zhongshan stations.