MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Irízar's Antarctic campaign reported on schedule

In addition to the Irízar, the ARA Canal de Beagle and the polar sloop ARA Estrecho San Carlos are deployed during the campaign

Argentine icebreaker ARA Almirante Irízar has been reported to have completed a successful call at the Orcadas base, after which supplies were delivered to the Petrel base, as part of the 119th Antarctic Summer Campaign.

The Irízar departed in December with a crew of 310, of whom 90 were scientists carrying the necessary equipment for the installation of three new multidisciplinary laboratories at the Esperanza, Orcadas, and San Martín bases.

Another of the objectives for this campaign is to continue with phase 2 of the Development Plan for the Petrel Joint Antarctic Base, with the Conae project at the Belgrano II base, the seismology project at the Decepción base, and with the Classified Antarctic Waste Evacuation Plan, projected at 350 tons, it was reported.

In addition to the usual supplies, heavy road machinery for the Petrel project was added, including two dump trucks, a tanker truck, a general-purpose truck, a pickup truck, a Unimog truck, a trailer, a backhoe loader, three fuel tanks, and four generators.

The icebreaker was said to be on schedule at the Petrel base in the last few hours after unloading took nearly a full day's work.

Scientists from the National Meteorological Service carried out geomagnetism studies to monitor the earth's magnetic field in this area of the Atlantic, at the base where the construction of a field of photovoltaic panels is planned.

“The base was reopened on November 15, 2021, with the mission of restoring basic services and communications with the continent. At present, the operational capacity of all the existing buildings has been recovered,” explained the outgoing head of the Petrel base, Lieutenant Colonel Noel Albiero.

A total of 1205 people will be deployed throughout this summer's campaign, in which also the base crews are to be replaced.

Argentina will also open six temporary bases (Matienzo, Brown, Decepción, Primavera, Cámara, and Melchior) to add to the permanently existing ones: Esperanza, Marambio, San Martín, Orcadas, Carlini, Belgrano II, and Petrel.

In addition to the Irízar, the ARA Canal de Beagle and the polar sloop ARA Estrecho San Carlos are deployed during the campaign.