site.btaNew Water Pipeline of Bulgarian Antarctic Base Expected to Be Completed This Polar Season

The new water pipeline of the Bulgarian Antarctic base on Livingston Island is expected to be completed this polar season, Assoc. Prof. Boris Tsankov told BTA's Milena Ostrovska. Tsankov is a consultant on the construction of the water pipeline.

"I believe that in the month I will be on the base, we will be able to complete the line, but everything depends on the weather conditions. Last year, we constructed and commissioned about 300 metres of pipeline; now we have about 150 more to go, which are in a very difficult and steep terrain. The pipeline will need very serious reinforcement, probably with chemical anchors. We hope we will have the time and the strength," he said.

He explained that what was started last year was the construction of a line of heat-insulated pipes with a diametre of f63 mm, which, on the one hand, increases the pressure at the water intakes and, on the other hand, the larger diametre prevents frequent freezing of water in the pipes. Before the project started, the water supply to the base was unsustainable, using small-diametre hoses with metal splices between the individual units, which froze when temperatures dropped.

The idea of the water supply project is to have a continuous flow of water even at night when there is no consumption. The water from the water pipeline is supposed to fill the tanks of the new laboratory campus, which will overflow to the ocean when full, thus ensuring the continuous movement of water in the pipes, said Assoc. Prof. Tsankov.

"The base exists because of the research that is done in it, but for there to be research, there has to be infrastructure. The water part of it is important. For scientists to lead a comfortable life, they must have constant access to potable water," the engineer told BTA.

According to him, the base will function more smoothly with the newly constructed water supply system. At the end of last year, he visited Spain's Juan Carlos I Antarctic Base to see how their water supply system was made. The concept was the same - the water is in constant motion which prevents freezing, he explained.

The materials for the water pipeline have been entirely donated by supplier companies happy to help the base, he specified.

This is his third participation in Bulgaria's Antarctic expeditions. During the first two expeditions, he familiarised himself with the terrain conditions and water sources and gave his expert opinion on the route and levels; the first part of the water supply system was built. For this expedition, it is planned to extend the pipeline to the newly constructed campus and to implement the continuous movement of water.

The Bulgarian naval research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421) departed from Varna for its third Antarctic expedition on November 7, 2024, and arrived at Livingston Island on December 28. BTA has a national press club on the vessel and at Bulgaria's St. Kliment Ohridski Antarctic base. This year's BTA correspondent is Milena Ostrovska, who arrived on Livingston Island on January 16.

This is the third consecutive year that BTA has sent a correspondent to Antarctica, after Konstantin Karagyozov embarked on RSV 421's maiden voyage to the icy continent and back. Emil Granicharov was BTA's special correspondent to Antarctica during last year's expedition.