The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) is about to embark on an ambitious infrastructure renewal program to make Davis research station a safer, more comfortable and more energy efficient place to live and work.
The AAD signed an agreement in May with a construction and design consortium to deliver the $250m program of works, which will start with an upgrade of the station’s water and power supplies.
“Davis can’t sustain a full population because of water limitations,” the Australian Antarctic Division's Director of Infrastructure Delivery, Matt Wuersching, said.
“It’s the only station where we have to produce water – all the other stations have their own fresh water source.”
Limited access to water means numbers on station also have to be restricted.
“At the moment we’re restricted to between 63 and 73 expeditioners – down from a possible 88 – to manage the water,” Mr Wuersching said.
Davis makes around 1.5 million litres of its own water every year and another 250,000 litres is shipped in on RSV Nuyina.
In summer, drinking water is produced by pumping water from a high-saline tarn near the station into a reverse osmosis (RO), or desalination, plant.
In winter that tarn freezes over, forcing the station to rely on stored water.
“Although there is a lot of ice around Davis, melting it isn’t really an option,” Mr Wuersching said.
“The snow is some distance away and it takes a lot of energy to melt it. That’s the second challenge we have at Davis – power.
“We can’t solve the water problems without addressing the power problems.”
In November 2026, works will start at Davis station to install a second reverse osmosis plant. This will replace the existing one and will also incorporate a new seawater intake.
Salt water will be pumped out of the ocean and heated before it’s sent to the RO plants to be turned into drinking water (heating is required first to make the reverse osmosis process work most efficiently).
After that comes a new utilities building that will house the main powerhouse, trades and mechanical workshops. The old buildings will be dismantled and returned to Australia.
In May, the Australian Antarctic Division entered an agreement with a construction and design consortium to deliver the works program, known as the Antarctic Infrastructure Renewal (AIR) Alliance.
Along with the AAD, the AIR Alliance comprises Bouygues Construction Australia, Stantec and Mott McDonald, which were chosen through a multi-stage, open tender process.
All works will be subject to rigorous environmental approvals as per the Antarctic Treaty (Environment Protection) Act 1980 (Cth) and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
The infrastructure program is expected to take seven years to complete and will take up to 30 extra tradespeople to Davis every season.
One year, five trades positions will also spend the winter there.
“Ultimately what we want to do is make Davis research station safe and reliable for all our expeditioners and deliver on our scientific and Treaty commitments,” Mr Wuersching said.
“It’ll have the power and water capacity to support future science programs and opportunities that can’t be supported now.”
This investment in the Australian Antarctic Program will strengthen Australia’s science, presence and leadership in Antarctica, underwriting the implementation of the Australian Antarctic Strategy and 20 Year Action Plan.
The AIR Alliance may also deliver (subject to future consideration and approvals) additional works packages to sustain and renew infrastructure in Antarctica.
