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Encon, one of Wolseley UK’s specialist businesses, has secured a £35,000 contract to provide thermal products for a new scientific research station in Antarctica.
Their insulation products will be used to build a new laboratory run by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). The Halley VI Research Station will be located on the Brunt Ice Shelf and incorporate a range of thermal products, drywall and partitioning to ensure an internal temperature of around 20° is maintained, despite external temperatures being as low as minus 56°.
BAS project manager Karl Tuplin said, “Freezing temperatures and gusting winds are a fact of life in Antarctica so it is vitally important that we have an effective insulation system to keep our staff comfortable in their living and working environment.”
Encon business unit manager Noel Booth, added: “Antarctica is the coldest and driest continent, and with 90% of the Earth’s ice, is also one of the most inaccessible. Our insulation materials underwent independent testing to ensure that the centre is built to its exacting requirements in this harsh building environment.”
The new laboratory is expected to have a life span of at least 25 years. It will be one of five research stations operated by British Antarctic Survey and will be a centre for research into global issues such as climate change, ozone depletion and atmospheric pollution.
