An Antarctic cargo ship chartered to replace Australia's broken icebreaker is on its way back to Hobart after running aground at Mawson Station during a resupply mission.
The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) chartered the Happy Diamond after its multi-million-dollar icebreaker, the RSV Nuyina, was forced to miss the season due to mechanical faults that have seen it stuck in Singapore for repairs.
But in a statement, the AAD said the Happy Diamond hit a shoal off the Antarctic station yesterday evening and was grounded for an hour.
"Minor damage occurred to a ballast water tank and the vessel's operator, Big Lift Shipping B.V. has assessed that there is no danger posed to personnel, the vessel or the environment," a spokesperson said.
"The vessel had earlier successfully completed resupply at Australia's Casey and Davis stations in Antarctica and was in the final stages of resupply operations at Mawson.
"The incident will be reported and investigated by the vessel's operator, Big Lift Shipping B.V. in cooperation with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority."
No-one was injured in the incident, but it is the latest in a long line of problems and delays that have plagued the Antarctic program.
Heralded as a "Disneyland for scientists", the $528 million Nuyina was touted as being equipped with state-of-the-art technology, but it first experienced motor trouble prior to arriving in Hobart in October 2021.
Its maiden voyage to Antarctica was later delayed due to an issue with its alarm and monitoring system.
Months later, during repairs to its clutch system, its manufacturer determined shaft couplings needed replacing, meaning it would miss the 2023 season.
The AAD chartered Happy Diamond and icebreaker Aiviq to mitigate the loss of the Aurora Australis's successor, but in November last year, Happy Diamond was forced to return to Hobart during a cargo mission due to mechanical problems of its own.
The AAD said the Happy Diamond was now on its way back to Hobart as scheduled and was escorted through sea ice by Aiviq.
It said Nuyina was expected to return to Australia in April, and like all "new and complex ships", it would "require time for commissioning as it prepares to serve Australia's Antarctic and Southern Ocean science efforts in the decades ahead".
