Princess Elisabeth Antarctica

Test build and public presentation, September 2007, Brussels

Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, located on Utsteinen Nunatak in Queen Maud Land (71°57′00″S 23°20′51″E / 71.949960°S 23.347503°E / -71.949960; 23.347503Coordinates: 71°57′00″S 23°20′51″E / 71.949960°S 23.347503°E / -71.949960; 23.347503), is a Belgian scientific polar research station, which went into service on February 15, 2009. 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.

The station is built against a ridge (The Utsteinen ridge) that is exposed to gales of up to 300 kilometres per hour (190 mph). 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 entirely on solar and wind energy through the use of a micro smart grid. The station is connected to nine wind turbines that stretch out along the Utsteinen ridge. It houses up to 16 scientists at a time.

The station is named after the Belgian princess Elisabeth, the eldest child and heir apparent of King Philippe.

Ownership Dispute

There has been a protracted dispute between the government of Belgium and Alain Hubert as to which party controls the base.[1] The Belgian Government has alleged financial mismanagement by the base's private operators, the International Polar Foundation.[1] Disputes over ownership and control of the base have led to a reduction in scientific research being undertaken at the base.[1] As per L'Echo, the head of the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office, René Delcourt, has stated that no Belgian scientists would be sent to the station in 2017.[2]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Enserink, Martin (January 17, 2017). "Science suffers in cold war over polar base". Science. Archived from the original on January 20, 2017.
  2. ↑ Vincent, Christopher (December 9, 2016). "Princess Elisabeth polar station – Canadian scientist expected in January, uncertainty about Belgians". The Brussels Times. Retrieved January 20, 2017. The announcement coincided with a report in l’Echo daily in Belgium that there “will be no [Belgian] State mission to Antartica this year” [...] The daily reported that the head of Belgium’s Federal Science Policy Office, René Delcourt, had informed the International Polar Foundation in a letter dated the 1st of December that Belgium would not send any scientists to the polar station this year.
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