A challenging mission at Norway’s outpost

Text: Sveinung W. Jensen, Tellus Kommunikasjon

There is no quay to berth at. No harbour in which to seek shelter. And when the sea gets too rough, there is only one thing to do – wait.

That has been the reality for the crews of Farmar Arion and Farmar Ares this summer during an unusual assignment on Jan Mayen, around 1,000 kilometres from the Norwegian mainland.

The two tugboats have been involved in the logistics surrounding the construction of the new Jan Mayen station at Olonkinbyen. The project is being carried out by the Norwegian Defence Estates Agency, and has been described by the Norwegian Armed Forces as perhaps the most complex construction project in Norway.

BUT BEFORE CONSTRUCTION can take place, the materials have to be brought ashore.

As Jan Mayen has neither a quay nor a harbour, large cargo vessels cannot deliver their loads directly to shore. Instead, building materials, machinery, containers and other equipment are transferred to a large barge offshore.

Farmar Arion and Farmar Ares have been responsible for keeping the barge under control and towing the cargo in towards shore.

"It is a very unusual operation, not least because conditions can change extremely quickly," says John W. Nilsen, Managing Director of Farmar.

FOR EACH CARGO SHIP, three to four barge trips have been required to bring everything ashore. The operations depend on calm seas, meaning the weather has dictated much of the working day.

"There is a lot of waiting. Our crews become experts at waiting," says Nilsen.

In total, the assignment lasted 35 days. On their way north, the Farmar vessels changed crews before continuing to Jan Mayen.

ON JAN MAYEN, there are few alternatives if something is missing or the weather brings operations to a halt.

"If you need something up there, you have a problem. There are flights twice a month, and those are Norwegian Armed Forces transport aircraft. There isn’t much other capacity available," says Nilsen.

UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, Jan Mayen is home and workplace to just 17 people: 15 from the Norwegian Armed Forces and two from the Norwegian Meteorological Institute.

They live on the island for six months at a time and largely have to be self-sufficient.

The team therefore includes people from a wide range of professional backgrounds, including a nurse, technicians, an electrician, a chef, a cleaner and engineers.

Their work involves far more than simply keeping a military station operational. Personnel collect weather observations, operate satellite navigation systems and radio masts, record seismic activity and gather data for research.

When aircraft are due to land, the personnel themselves are also responsible for preparing the airstrip and ensuring that the necessary infrastructure is operational.

THE NORWEGIAN METEOROLOGICAL Institute operates the weather station a few kilometres from Olonkinbyen, carrying out meteorological observations and launching weather balloons. Data from Jan Mayen is particularly valuable because there are so few other observation points across the vast surrounding ocean areas.

It is this small community that is now set to receive completely new working and living facilities.

Most of the existing buildings at Olonkinbyen were constructed between 1958 and 1960 and were originally intended to last for around ten years. Nearly 70 years later, the Norwegian Defence Estates Agency is building a new station building, new workshops and new emergency accommodation.

In total, six new buildings covering around 8,600 square metres are being constructed.

THE BUILDINGS ARE being designed for a location where conventional solutions are simply not sufficient. They are intended to have a lifespan of 100 years and withstand storms, earthquakes, salt water, volcanic sand and the weight of both snow and ash should the Beerenberg volcano erupt again.

According to the Norwegian Armed Forces, the buildings are being designed to withstand loads up to seven times greater than comparable buildings on the mainland.

At its worst, the weather can make it unsafe to venture outdoors. The various parts of the station will therefore be connected, allowing personnel to move between them without going outside.

The new station will include larger private cabins with their own showers and toilets, a modern kitchen, improved workshops, a medical room and communal areas.

THE PROJECT HAS a budget of just over NOK 1.5 billion, with the new station building scheduled to be formally taken into use in February 2027.

After that, another major logistics operation awaits: more than 5,000 square metres of old buildings will be demolished, with the materials then transported off the island.

For Farmar, the assignment has meant operating far beyond the company’s usual towing routes.

“It is in places like this that you really see just how important maritime transport is,” says Nilsen.