SA Agulhas II delay prompts polar fuel contingency plan

A polar diesel shortage that delayed the SA Agulhas II relief voyage has forced the evacuation of the Marion Island overwintering team, with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment now securing longer-term fuel contingency stocks for future remote-base voyages.

The 2025/26 Marion Island overwintering team returned to South Africa on Wednesday after Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Willie Aucamp, ordered their urgent evacuation following delays to the vessel’s relief voyage.

The delay was caused by the unavailability of specialised fuel products that are mixed with normal diesel to produce the polar diesel needed to keep the Marion Island base running in extremely low temperatures. Normal diesel can crystallise in these conditions, making the specialised blend essential for sub-Antarctic operations.

The SA Agulhas II was kept in port while the department waited for the specialised fuel and for the blending and testing process to be completed.

The vessel was later authorised to sail on ‘Ice Mode’, using maximum speed to reach Marion Island as quickly as possible.

“While the temporary closure of the base is unfortunate following the emergency evacuation, my team and I felt it important to prioritise the safety and well-being of our people,” Aucamp said.

The department hoped to get the base running again within two to three weeks, depending on factors that included safe weather conditions that allowed helicopter operations at the base, it said.

“We are also looking into the procurement of a large fuel depot facility where this polar fuel could be stored, not only for our own use but also for the potential use of other countries that operate polar bases,” Aucamp said.

South Africa operates remote scientific bases as part of its Antarctic and sub-Antarctic research programme, which supports climate science, biodiversity conservation, oceanographic research and global environmental monitoring.

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