A video, made by the Russian military’s TV channel and now published on YouTube with English subtitles, unveils some details on the Russian Arktichesky Trilistnik (Arctic Trefoil) in the Archipelago of Franz Joseph Land (80N). The new complex, which will be completed by the end of the year, will be a permanent structure on the 80th parallel in the far north Arctic where 150 soldiers can live autonomously for up to 2 years.
Construction of the “Arctic clover” administrative and housing complex, being built in order to develop infrastructure of the Northern Fleet in the Arctic on the Alexandra Land of the Franz-Joseph Land archipelago, is built by 97%. As reported by the Russian Ministry of Defence, the base is the only object in the world being constructed at the 80th parallel north. Its area is more than 14,000 square metres.
Indeed, Tuss recently reported:
"The Arctic Trefoil administrative and residential compound today is the world’s only capital construction facility being built on the 80th parallel north. Its area exceeds 14,000 square metres," the press service said. The facility’s self-sufficiency will ensure comfortable accommodation and work conditions for a group of 150 people during 1.5 years. The facility has fuel and lubricant depots, food products and clothing storages with reserves for this period. Innovative energy-efficient technology to minimise power consumption is used in the facility construction. The compound under construction will have a technical floor, which will make it possible to service comfortably all its utility systems, including in cold weather.
All the infrastructure facilities will have passages among them protecting the personnel from exposure to the external environment and saving heat. Roads have been built on the island, as well as the onshore pumping station for receiving fuel from tankers and transferring it to the fuel and lubricant depot.
Arctic Trefoil is the second unique closed-cycle autonomous life support system compound that is being built in the interests of Russia’s Northern Fleet in high-latitude regions of the Arctic. The first facility called Severny Klever ("Northern Clover’) was built on the 75th parallel north on Kotelny Island of the New Siberian Islands archipelago.
At the end of 2014, Russia formed a combined strategic command on the basis of the Northern Fleet. Situation monitoring and air defence units have already entered combat duty on some of the islands. The Defense Ministry has declared plans for building up its military group in the Chukchi Peninsula with the aim to maintain security of the Northern Sea Route and repel likely threats in the Arctic.
(Sources: Russian Ministry of Defence,Tass)