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Rough terrain crane finds new home in Antarctica

A rough terrain crane has made an extraordinary journey to Antarctica.

EWPA, an official distributor of Terex Cranes in Poland, delivered the RT35-1 to serve the Polish Antarctic Station Henryk Arctowski.

For more than 40 years, the station has provided technical and logistical support for Polish and international research groups conducting research in Antarctica.

Year-round operation

The crane was purchased by the Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences to permanently support year-round scientific research, which will focus on biology and ecology, but also include oceanography, geology, geomorphology, glaciology, meteorology, seismology.

The research station also carries out ecological, glaciological, hydrological, meteorological and marine monitoring.

The station is located in the Southern Hemisphere in the South Shetland Islands, on King George Island, off the coast of Admiralty Bay. The island belongs to the climatic maritime zone of Antarctica.

“This has been one of the most interesting sales we have had in our 30-year sales career,” said Hanna Stanoch, marketing manager at EWPA. “Never before did we have to ship a machine to such a distant corner of the world, a delivery over a distance of over 14,000 km, which took several weeks.

About the crane

The RT 35-1 is a 35 t (38.5 USt) rough terrain crane with a 30.1 m (98.75 ft) full power mechanically synchronized boom. It has three steering modes and enhanced safety features, to include easy access to cab and carrier deck and no obstacles on the top deck.

“Being in such a remote location, having a solution that can get the job done but is robust and reliable enough to withstand the harsh climatic and geographical conditions of the Antarctica were key requirements for the job,” said Stanoch. “We had no hesitation in recommending the RT 35-1 for the job – in our experience we know it can travel and manoeuvre over the harshest terrain with ease, its high-strength steel can endure extreme cold temperatures, while its rugged axles and machine superstructures handle snow.”

Stephan Wijkmans, a sales manager at Terex Cranes, said the company was pleased to see the model used in such a unique application and location.

“It is a clear demonstration that our rough terrain cranes can do the work but also handle off road jobsites and extreme conditions. We have no doubt that with the world-class design and manufacturing that has gone into our RT 35-1, along with the service and support provided by EWPA, this crane will achieve ultimate efficiency and productivity for the Polish Antarctic Station Henryk Arctowski, well into the future.”