Upgraded military jetty in Falklands’ Mare Harbour officially opens

Upgrade works on the roll on roll off jetty in Mare Harbour were completed recently and officially opened by the UK Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO).

The improvements to the RORO jetty are part of a £19m (approx. $26.5M) contract with VolkerStevin for design and construction aimed at improving military capability in the Falkland Islands.

The new facility will enable larger 20,000 tonne Point-class vessels to berth in the harbor, delivering up to 85% of the military supplies.

In addition to the jetty, VolkerStevin has also replaced walkways along the berth, lighting improvements, capstans and a PA system. Firefighting capabilities have been upgraded as well.

This £19m contract is part of a £180m overall investment by DIO to improve facilities on the Islands over the next 10 years. Additional works include improvements to the power station at Mount Pleasant Complex as well as new services accommodation at the three Remote Radar Heads on the Islands.

There are currently around 1,200 military and civilian personnel based in the Falklands supporting defensive air, naval and land assets, including RAF Typhoon aircraft, helicopters, Royal Navy patrol vessels and an Army infantry company.

“We are delighted to have handed over the Ro-Ro berth a month early, this latest berth upgrade continues our successful relationship with the DIO and the Royal Navy,” Terry O’Connor, operations director and DIO account director for VolkerStevin said.

“The opening of this new jetty is an important milestone in our 10-year programme to modernise defence infrastructure on the Falklands. We’re investing £180 million on the Islands that will benefit its residents, as well as service personnel and their families who live, work and train there,”  Tobias Ellwood, Minister for Defence, People and Veterans, said.