Middle East conflict disrupts fuel supply to SA sub-Antarctic base

A South African vessel headed to a sub-Antarctic island to resupply scientists has been held up by fuel supply disruptions caused by the Iran war.

The SA Agulhas II, an icebreaking polar supply ship, was unable to leave Cape Town on schedule in April because it couldn’t secure diesel supplies in time, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, which owns the vessel, said in a statement on Saturday.

“The delay is primarily due to the global scarcity of fuel products linked to ongoing geopolitical developments in the Middle East.”

Operations at the station require a specialised polar diesel that doesn’t freeze in extreme cold.

A shipment of the fuel finally arrived at the Cape Town refinery earlier this month, the department said. Mixing and testing are underway and it’s expected to be delivered to the vessel within two days.

There’s “no immediate risk” to the Marion Island research station team, with sufficient fuel for another nine days and food supplies for two months, according to the department.

Read: Urgent application to stop ship tender ‘tailored’ for the incumbent

Still, it means a narrowing window to replenish stocks at the base – another example of how the disruption of global energy flows, driven by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, is affecting even some of the most remote areas on Earth.

© 2026 Bloomberg