Skanska wins extreme Antarctic job

14/04/2025, 10:16

AGREEMENT - Group CEO Stein Ivar Hellestad (right) of Skanska looks forward to working on the Troll project together with, among others, Statsbygg's Construction Manager Marius Tunstad and Project Owner John Ommund Syvertsen. Photo: Skanska

In a major milestone, Norway’s state construction agency Statsbygg has awarded Skanska the main contract as general contractor for the new Troll Research Station in Antarctica. Statsbygg also signed agreements with four consultancy firms for the unique project.

Hilde Wexels Riser

“With the team in place, we’ve truly reached a milestone. We’re delighted to partner with such a skilled and experienced contractor as Skanska on what will arguably be Norway’s most unique construction project of the next decade,” said Harald Nikolaisen, CEO of Statsbygg.

He noted that the contracts have reservations pending the Norwegian Parliament’s final approval to build the new station. Statsbygg is now proceeding with the preliminary project scheduled for completion in 2026.

Proud to win such a unique project

Skanska CEO Stein Ivar Hellestad said the company is extremely proud to win such a unique project that allows them to fully leverage their specialized expertise and breadth of capabilities.

“We have great experience designing for Arctic regions, and not least the skills to execute installations under extremely demanding conditions, with reference projects on Svalbard and Jan Mayen. We’re thrilled to contribute to this important advancement for Antarctic research efforts.”

Photo courtesy of Trine Lise Sviggum Helgerud / Norsk Polarinstitutt

In addition to Skanska, Statsbygg contracted the following consultants for the collaborative phase:

Architect: LPO Architects
Geotechnical Engineering: Instanes AS
Building & Water Engineering: Rambøll
Building Physics: Norconsult

If approved, Statsbygg’s Head of Construction Marius Tunstad emphasized the isolated location and harsh climate will make for a highly complex project, with the limited Antarctic construction season stretching it over multiple years.

“But now we’ve assembled an excellent team, and I’m confident we’ll jointly deliver an outstanding project,” he said.

The new station will eventually replace the aging 35-year-old Troll facility, providing a modest base for 65 researchers while reducing environmental impact through solutions like wind and solar energy being tested this Antarctic season.

The translation was written by an AI system, though the original text was authored by a human. Read the original article here