As more and more expedition ships flock to Antarctica, the port of Ushuaia, which is traditionally used for Antarctica departures, is getting busier and busier. With only one pier, the challenge to manage the supply is real.

The solution was created to extend the 500-meter-long pier, according to 2021 Expedition Market Report by Cruise Industry News.

“The state of Tierra del Fuego has launched a public offer application to extend the pier by over 85 meters long. The works are expected to start in April 2021,” said in March Veronica Baldasso Palacios, the owner and manager of Sealand Ship Agents & Suppliers, the company tasked with managing the oversupply.

Ushuaia-based Sealand Ship Agents & Suppliers is a registered entity with the Port of Ushuaia that works for expedition tour operators. It has regular meetings with the port authorities and the government, as well as the city of Ushuaia.

“(The local government) was pushing for these projects as well,” Baldasso Palacios said.

The Port of Ushuaia is a public entity run by the state of Tierra del Fuego, a province of Ushuaia with the capital in Ushuaia. According to Baldasso Palacios, the pier lengthening works at the port will take 18 to 24 months to complete.

“This is something that the city has put a lot of interest in because they do want to support the expedition cruise tourism and welcome it back to the city. It’s one of the main sources of income for the state government … And it generates a lot of income for the provincial government,” she explained the importance of the project.

“The public spirit of this is that they do need a system, and they’re trying to make an effort to make things work. They’ve been investing in the extension of the port,” Baldasso Palacios added.