Vasiliy Golovnin to Supply India's Antarctica Station

Russia's Far East Shipping Company (FESCO) and the National Center for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of India have extended the contract for supplying India’s research stations in Antarctica.

“Vasiliy Golovnin” – an icebreaking cargo ship – will deliver general cargo, food products and fuel to Bharati and Maitri stations during Antarctica’s summer in 2019-2020.

Scientists of the National Center for Polar and Ocean Research will also join the expedition for the research. The ship will start its voyage in December 2019.

Under the previous contract, in 2019 the ship with 2 helicopters and a self-propelled barge were used to deliver more than 4 000 tons of cargo to Bharati and Maitri stations, to transport household and industrial waste and to transfer two Indian members of the expedition for replacement.

Vasiliy Golovnin, a Russian Vitus Bering class ice-breaking cargo vessel, has regularly been chartered for entire seasons, including by Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina.