Juan Carlos I Antarctic Station, ES

Facility Operator: Spanish Polar Committee (CPE.

Contact

cpe[at]ciencia.gob.es

Location

Seasonal coastal Antarctic station located 200 m from shore in a small bay in Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands. The station is close to Johnson Glacier and Sofia Mountain

Website

https://polardex.org/ Juan Carlos I
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61073506e9b0073c7eaaf464/t/611497cc1ece1b43f0eeca8a/1628739608968/COMNAP_Antarctic_Station_Catalogue.pdf

Facilities

The station was set up to support the interest shown by the Spanish scientific community in Antarctica, it was the first Spanish station in Antarctica. In December 1986, a group of four scientists set up a camp in Livingston Island in order to look for the right place to build the Juan Carlos I station, taking into account that, at that time, there were no stations in Livingston Island. In 1988 the first modules of the station were disembarked, in that moment, the Juan Carlos I station was installed. Since then, the station has been operative during 28 years.
The station consists of a set of buildings with two main modules, living/services, including infirmary, kitchen rooms and living room, with capacity for fifty people, and a laboratory module able to cover different scientific disciplines. There are other 6 modules dedicated to station services: workshop, waste treatment, energy generation, storage, fuel. One important aspect of the station is the importance given to energetic efficiency in order to avoid the energy waste and focus on decrease the consumption.

Availability for access

Time frame for access preparation

Every year, from 1st January to 15th May, the Spanish Polar Committee (CPE) opens an access call to national, European and international projects intending to access the Spanish Antarctic Stations Juan Carlos I and Gabriel de Castilla. 
Logistics arrangements for the Spanish Polar Program are based in Cartagena, Spain. This is the RV Hespérides port base and where the Antarctic logistics responsible (CSIC), has a warehouse. Cargo must be sent to the warehouse indicated below 1 month prior the departure of the vessel.

The usual date of the vessel departure is between 1st and 15th November.

Permits, licenses and training

After the access request is approved, the applicant will need to apply to his/her national polar authority for:
Environmental Impact Assessment certificate.
Permit for sampling (if needed).
Permit to restricted areas (if needed).
Training course on the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty before going to Antarctica.
Risk assessments according to the RI requirements and user’s employer.

Medical guidelines

Medical certificate for Antarctic activities issued by a competent polar authority.