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 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 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 Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant, the eldest daughter of King Philippe of Belgium.
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. Disputes over ownership and control of the base have led to a reduction in scientific research being undertaken at the base. 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. 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 12 different countries expected at the base.
