The station, designed, built and operated by the
International Polar Foundation, is the first polar base that combines eco-friendly construction materials, clean and
efficient energy use, optimization of the station's energy consumption and clever waste-management techniques. Testing phase in
Brussels and building construction in
Antarctica was coordinated by Belgian main contractor
BESIX. The station is built against a ridge (The Utsteinen ridge) that is exposed to gales of up to . The station can withstand such strong winds through its aerodynamic shape and its foundation anchoring of several metres deep into the
permafrost.
Philippe Samyn, a Belgian architect, was involved in designing the shell and underlying structure. The upper deck of the building is the actual station and looks over the ridge edge. The lower deck contains a garage for
snowcat vehicles and other utilities. The Princess Elisabeth base is the only
zero-emission base on the Antarctic, and runs on solar and wind energy through the use of a micro
smart grid, which has lead-acid batteries as well as backup generators. The station is connected to nine
wind turbines that stretch out along the Utsteinen ridge. As of February 2023, the station also houses the only electric exploration vehicle in the Antarctic, the Venturi Antarctica, which has been in-service since December 2021. The station houses up to 16 scientists at a time. The station is named after
Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant, the eldest daughter of
King Philippe of Belgium. 11 of 30 of the base's personnel contracted
COVID-19 in December 2021 despite having been vaccinated. The first case was a person who had arrived on 7 December and tested positive on 14 December. The cases were mild, and none were expected to be evacuated on a flight scheduled for 12 January 2022.
Ownership dispute There was a protracted dispute between the
government of Belgium and the explorer
Alain Hubert as to which party controls the base. The Belgian Government has alleged financial mismanagement by the base's private operators, the International Polar Foundation. The dispute was resolved on 9 June 2017 as a judgement ruled by the Belgian Council of State. Publicly announced on 30 June 2017 as the "Pax Antarctica", the settlement between the International Polar Foundation and the Belgian government includes the Belgian government fully owning the base, the International Polar Foundation receiving contracts to operate the base for the next six years, and a cessation of all legal proceedings. Research work resumed in November 2017, with 24 scientists from twelve countries expected at the base. ==See also==