Marion Island team to be evacuated after polar diesel shortage delays SA Agulhas II voyage

The department of forestry, fisheries and the environment has ordered the urgent evacuation of the overwintering team stationed at Marion Island after delays to the SA Agulhas II relief voyage raised fears that critical fuel supplies for the remote base could run out. Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Willie Aucamp said the decision was taken after disruptions in the supply of additives needed to produce specialised polar diesel threatened the operation of the island’s generators. Marion Island, a remote South African research base in the sub-Antarctic Indian Ocean, lies about 2 000km southeast of Cape Town. Unlike normal diesel, the fuel is designed to withstand the sub-Antarctic temperatures on Marion Island, where ordinary diesel would crystallise. “With the weather conditions having cleared in Cape Town, the helicopters that will be used for the evacuation of the overwintering team were able to land on the vessel, which is now ready to sail,” the department said on Thursday. Aucamp said the department could no longer delay action while uncertainty remained over when the fuel additives would become available. “The voyage delays were caused by the unavailability of crucial fuel products that are mixed with normal diesel and are used to create the special polar diesel required to keep the base running within extremely low outside temperatures that would crystalise normal diesel,” he said. “As we are unsure when these fuel products will be available, we cannot wait any longer at the expense of the wellbeing of our team. Our people’s lives come first.” Department spokesperson Zolile Nqayi told the Mail & Guardian on Friday that supply chain disruptions linked to the conflict in the Middle East had affected the availability of the additives required to manufacture the polar diesel. He said the department had initially believed replacement supplies would be secured. “At the end of April the department was given assurance from some suppliers that additive