meet the engineering team - Andy Tait

My involvement in this project

I am the Project manager for the Lake Ellsworth hot water drill. I am responsible for the design, specification, procurement and manufacture of the complete system. The Hot water drill when completed will be one of the largest hot water drills ever built and will have the capability of drill a hole, 360mm diameter down through 3.3km of ice.

What does being in this project mean to you personally?

The Lake Ellsworth project is the most diverse and challenging engineering undertakings I have been involved with in my twenty plus years of working for BAS. Being involved in such an ambushes project is highly exciting and daunting in equal amounts. To achieve this monumental endeavour of being the first team to sample a sub-glacial lake in a clean and pristine manner will be a fantastic accolade.

Have you been to Antarctica before?

Yes, I have worked several times in different parts of Antarctica. Originally I spent 2 ½ years on Halley 4 Research Station back in 1988. Since then I have been involved in the support of many marine projects, operating from the RRS James Clark Ross both in the Arctic and Antarctic.

Lake Ellsworth will provide be with my first experience of working in a deep field site in the Antarctic which will be a new and exciting challenge.