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Marion Island ‘power crisis’ — single generator clings to life as relief ship dawdles

The base during its official March 2011 launch. Some construction work was still being completed. (Photo: Tiara Walters)

By Tiara Walters

16 Apr 2025

Just one life-saving machine is still limping along at the isolated outpost. Back-up systems have thrown in the towel. As help from the South African mainland has been delayed again, all base staff can do is cross their fingers, ration electricity — and avoid tripping over functioning cables.

South Africa’s premier Antarctic research programme is plagued by infrastructure failures, internal dysfunction and a power crisis at one of its remote bases — according to scientists and government officials working closely with the programme.

These multiple sources, speaking to Daily Maverick on condition of anonymity, said desperation has driven them to speak publicly. Years of mismanagement among key state bodies, they say, is pushing the country’s polar research capacity to breaking point.

The latest sign of trouble is a vast scientific research base running on fumes at Marion Island, South Africa’s storm-lashed sub-Antarctic outpost about 2,000km southeast of Cape Town.

Of three diesel generators meant to power about 4,200m2 of modular buildings on the island — where the average temperature plunges to 6°C — only one is working right now.

The reason, according to sources? The April 2024 relief voyage to Marion, the exposed tip of an undersea volcano, was ordered to leave Cape Town without sufficient generator parts — forcing the base’s mechanical team to fend for itself throughout the past year.

‘It’s not life-threatening — until the last generator dies’

Two of the scientists who spoke to Daily Maverick are identified in this investigation as “a senior researcher” and “an academic” associated with the South African National Antarctic Programme (Sanap).

The base’s “power generation room”, according to the island’s management plan, was designed to rely on three “diesel generator engines”.

“Antarctic bases have redundancies in place — you know … in case something goes wrong,” quipped the academic. “But at this stage, there are no more backups. They’re running on one generator, permanently … Hopefully, the base will still have power by the time the relief voyage arrives.”

The voyage, now leaving Cape Town on 17 April, is expected to arrive about five days later.

Those “backups” refer to the other generators meant to work on rotation.

We understand from a source with knowledge of the base that the working generator is in poor condition. There may also be a working emergency generator available, but “the role is for an emergency, for when a generator fails”.

“If it fails, the emergency generator won’t last long,” the source said. “I don’t know how long, but there won’t be any hot water and usage of large appliances like ovens won’t be able to work.”

A base perilously exposed to complete power failure holds serious health and safety risks for the handful of personnel marooned on the frigid southern Indian Ocean island, whose nearest neighbours are France’s Crozet and Kerguelen research outposts — 1,000km and 2,300km away, respectively.

This, in a fictitious scenario, is like Johannesburg blacking out, and asking Cape Town to MacGyver some power from sauvignon blanc and Table Mountain mist.

“It’s not life-threatening — until the last generator dies,” the academic lamented.

The senior researcher added: “There have been intermittent issues with the generators for at least the past seven years to a greater or lesser extent — mostly dependent on the level of competence, effort, and training of the diesel mechanic and base engineers of each year and how well they serviced and maintained stuff.”

Marion Island’s remote location in the South Atlantic, halfway to Antarctica. (Source: Google Maps)

‘Any breakdown in power generation becomes a crisis’

“Marion is only reached by sea voyages of about five days. Everything is airlifted from the ship to the shore on Marion. The base is resupplied once a year. While not as harsh and dangerous as the Antarctic, Marion is still very cold, wet and windy,” said Professor Ian Meiklejohn, a veteran of national and international expeditions to the sub-Antarctic and Antarctic.

Meiklejohn stepped down as the long-serving head of Rhodes University’s Geography Department last year. He was responding to our questions on why functioning power systems mattered in extreme research environments, and not on any incidents of potential generator failure at specific stations.

“The generators are used rotationally, so the load is spread among them over time,” Meiklejohn stated. “Any breakdown in power generation becomes a crisis, which endangers the lives of personnel and the science being conducted.”

Meiklejohn noted that staff at South Africa’s other two research bases in the region — Sanae IV in East Antarctica and Gough Island in the South Atlantic — relied on similar systems.

A litany of postponements: ‘It’s like … Sort yourselves out’

Initially scheduled to depart from Cape Town on 3 April, the annual relief voyage has been pushed back twice: first to 10 April and now to 17 April.

The postponements have reportedly thrown schedules into chaos. International collaborations are teetering on a knife’s edge.

“The Oceans and Coasts directorate at the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), which manages logistics for Sanap, has been in turmoil for a number of years. They don’t need more bad press,” the academic stressed.

“But there was no apology from the DFFE saying, ‘Oh, we’re sorry, we’re going to have to delay the voyage.’ Just one line of communication: ‘The ship’s been delayed — we’re departing 17 April.’ It’s like, ‘Now you guys are gonna have to sort yourselves out.’”

In a one-paragraph email seen by Daily Maverick, the DFFE told voyage participants: “Please be informed that the Marion Island take over [sic] voyage departure date has been postponed to the 17th April 2025 due to logistic constraints. Group leaders to please convey the message to all team members.”

A fur seal framed by the SA Agulhas I research and resupply vessel during the base’s grand official launch in March 2011. (Photo: Tiara Walters)

Nelson Mandela’s polar legacy at risk

South Africa is among 12 original decision-maker signatories to the Antarctic Treaty, giving it significant international heft in polar research and diplomacy.

It earned its permanent place at the decision-maker table as Africa’s only treaty state by meeting the requirement of doing “substantial scientific research”.

President Nelson Mandela treasured South Africa’s unique role at the bottom of the Earth — such that Africa’s first democratically elected polar president signed an Antarctic cooperation agreement with New Zealand Prime Minister Jim Bolger during a state visit to Wellington in November 1995.

Yet, 30 years since Madiba signed that agreement, Marion’s research teams now say they had arranged for colleagues from abroad to join fieldwork on the island — but as the relief voyage was now postponed, those plans risked falling apart.

Allegations of sexual misconduct within the programme first covered by the Sunday Times in March have subsequently been covered by almost every major news outlet in the West — all of which adds to potential reputational damage for South Africa’s 70-year Antarctic legacy.

“The delays jeopardised these international partnerships,” the academic explained. “What the DFFE fails to accept is that many academics now have to rebook flights and accommodation. This will be viewed as fruitless and wasteful expenditure resulting in negative audit findings for the research grants at universities.”

Seabird researcher Linda Clokie at a Marion Island king penguin colony, March 2011. (Photo: Tiara Walters)

From Madiba to mildew: ‘Tote bins are used to catch the water’

The R200-million saffron base was unveiled to fanfare in March 2011 like some space age swamp pumpkin — complete with a Jacuzzi and grand breakfast views taking in killer whales surfing in the bay.

But it seems this stunning jewel of South African sub-Antarctic heritage is succumbing to the elements.

“The infrastructure at the base is falling apart. Not just the generators. The big boiler for hot water is also out of order,” said a source.

The island — also under fire from killer invasive mice and deadly avian flu in seabirds — gets about 2,200mm of rain. Yet, the “base is full of leaks, and tote bins are used to catch the water. Many windows are cracked. Carpets are mouldy because of the leaks. There is no proper maintenance during takeover.”

The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) “is supposed to fix these things during takeover, but it doesn’t”.

However, when asked, DPWI spokesperson Lennox Mabaso said the department had, in fact, “procured five new generators, which will be transported during the voyage to Marion Island on Thursday. Three will be used for normal operations, while two will serve as back-up units in case of emergency. These will replace the ageing infrastructure currently in place on the island.

“This intervention will alleviate any electricity concerns on the island, including the limitations in generation capacity. Currently, all the electricity needs of the island are being met, and previously spares have been brought in to keep emergency generators operational until they are replaced with the current voyage.”

Mabaso said a DPWI team would be joining the voyage to conduct “routine maintenance work, including plumbing services”.

Three departments walk into a crisis — ‘none’ takes responsibility

Unlike other nations with centralised polar research institutions — such as the British Antarctic Survey or the Australian Antarctic Programme — South Africa’s own programme is fragmented across several government departments and bodies.

The DFFE gets to do logistics. The Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) makes the call on scientific funding. The DPWI is charged with maintaining Antarctic bases.

“The coordination between those three government departments is not very good, at best. Everyone blames someone else. Everyone has different budgets. It makes it very complex to manage,” said the academic.

Planning meetings that once took place a year in advance are now held just weeks before departure.

“We have seen the massive contribution that Sanap has made to many academics and scientific programmes in the country,” the academic emphasised. “But there’s just no planning any more. For those of us who have built our entire careers on Sanap over many decades, that’s deeply distressing.”

The base during its official March 2011 launch. Some construction work was still being completed. (Photo: Tiara Walters)

New polar body to help juggle ministries — and hold the wrench

Until the 1990s, South Africa’s Antarctic interests had been run under the sole umbrella of the Department of Transport — a successful model, say some scientists. Then the programme was reorganised and responsibilities split among different bodies.

According to a number of parties concerned about logistical nightmares and infrastructure fallout, only one solution is fit for purpose: returning to a unified structure to handle logistics, funding and base management under a single entity.

Such an entity would be led by decisive leadership overseeing — among others — trained and prepared mechanical crews.

That’s why a group of researchers launched the South African Polar Research Infrastructure (Sapri) in 2021, several interviewees argued.

“The initial idea was for Sapri to take over and streamline a lot of these things and processes under one institute,” the academic observed.

For their part, the Sanap-associated senior researcher shared those sentiments.

However, referring to the DFFE’s management, the senior researcher also highlighted what they described as an “incompetent”, “defensive” and “territorial” logistics arm.

“The DFFE’s Sanap section needs to function properly, with merit-based appointments of competent people. Logistics provision needs to dovetail with science and not be the tail that wags the dog,” said the senior researcher. “Sapri has been established to try to bring a more cohesive approach to how the DFFE’s logistics provision and the science work together.

“But the DFFE is incredibly defensive and territorial — mostly, in my opinion, because they are incompetent and the best form of defence for them is attack.”

Polar powerhouse on paper — but can South Africa deliver?

Asked if the DSTI-funded Sapri was the best institution to arrest the reported chaos, institution head Juliet Hermes emerged as a master of tact.

She argued that the DSTI’s National Research Foundation (NRF) had a “long history” of throwing its weight behind funding for Antarctic science. The NRF-hosted Sapri, she said, delivered “research infrastructure”. Logistics and maintenance were the DFFE and DPWI’s responsibility — although the national science department worked “in conjunction” with those departments.

“South Africa has the scientific expertise, geographic advantage and historical legacy to lead in polar research,” Hermes stressed.

The DSTI and NRF were in “ongoing” talks with the DFFE about the “overall” Antarctic programme.

Sapri and Sanap’s “committed” vision, she said, was to deliver infrastructure and funding for a “coordinated, well-resourced and resilient system” — “one that works in partnership across government, academia and international networks” and supported South Africa’s polar “potential”.

‘The ship’s already sinking’

The now DA-run DFFE and DPWI departments inherited a Pandora’s box of problems from their ANC predecessors, claimed sympathetic sources.

Director Ashley Johnson, the academic noted, had been “parachuted in” to “stabilise” the Oceans and Coasts division.

Scientists said they were encouraged by attending a recent meeting with Johnson, who signalled a departure from the quagmire of last-minute crisis management.

“It seems like he does have a plan,” the academic added, “but the ship’s already sinking.”

The DFFE acknowledged our detailed requests for comment. No replies to our questions about the reported power crisis and other infrastructure challenges were received more than 48 hours after we sent them.

‘The ANC recognised the significance of Africa’s presence in Antarctica’

The South African government has facilitated opportunities and polar access for generations of scientists in disciplines ranging from oceanography to geology.

Those scientists publish in high-impact journals, contributing to global understanding of climate change at a time when President Donald Trump’s second administration — the treaty’s depositary — has declared war on the very term.

A delegation of UCT scientists from the Polar Engineering Research Group (PERG), led by Prof Sebastian Skatulla, recently embarked on an expedition to the Fimbul Ice Shelf in Antarctica.

The NRF provided funding through SANAP https://t.co/5rEjrMEBwl

— National Research Foundation of South Africa (@NRF_News) April 11, 2025

“The ANC was extraordinary when it came to power in 1994,” the South African-born scientist Professor Steven Chown, a past president of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, told us in a separate interview in July 2024.

Chown had attended the opening of the base in 2011, together with other top researchers, such as Professor Marthán Bester, the Pretoria University polar mammal expert.

“They recognised the significance of Africa’s presence in the Antarctic and South Africa’s role as ambassador for Africa,” said Chown, based at Australia’s Monash University since 2012.

For now, the islanders continue to wait — hoping the last working generator holds out until the relief ship arrives. DM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REeWvTRUpMk

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