Custom HDPE Storage Tanks for Antarctica

The Challenge

The client required a pair of large custom-fabricated storage tanks designed to perform reliably in one of the most demanding environments on earth. Antarctic conditions present a unique challenge for industrial storage: ambient temperatures regularly fall below -40°C, and the combination of thermal cycling, extreme cold, and remote deployment ruled out standard storage solutions. The tanks needed to maintain structural integrity, remain leak-free, and be fully serviceable in the field once installed at the Antarctic station.

What We Delivered

AIP fabricated two identical large rectangular HDPE tanks from our Newcastle workshop. High-density polyethylene was selected as the material of choice for its exceptional cold-weather performance — maintaining structural integrity and impact resistance down to -50°C — making it one of the few thermoplastic materials genuinely suited to polar service conditions.

Each tank was fabricated to specification with multiple flanged inlet and outlet connections for ease of field installation and future maintenance. Full compliance documentation and traceability records were supplied with each tank before shipment.