Princess Elisabeth Antarctica is a Belgian polar science research station located at Nuntak Utstein, Queen Maud Land . Opened February 15, 2009. The station is named after the Belgian princess Elizabeth , the eldest daughter of King Philip of Belgium.
The station was designed, built and operated under the auspices of the organization of the International Polar Fund (headquarters in Brussels). It is the first polar base combining eco-building materials, the use of clean and efficient energy, the optimization of plant energy consumption and reasonable methods of waste management.
The station is built on a ridge, can withstand strong winds due to its aerodynamic shape and foundation, the fastenings of which reach several meters deep into permafrost.
Philippe Samin, a Belgian architect, was involved in the design of the shell and core structure. The upper tier of the building is the actual station and looks at the edge of the ridge. On the lower tier there is a garage for vehicles and other utilities.
The Princess Elizabeth base is the only one in Antarctica with zero emissions, and works exclusively on solar and wind power through the use of micro-smart grids. The station connects to nine wind turbines that run along the Utsteinen ridge. These are houses of scientists up to 16 people.