Princess Elisabeth Antarctica
A “Zero Emission” Station?
For decades, Antarctica has been the home of science and an example for preservation governance. In the middle of this pristine environment, the International Polar Foundation signed the return of Belgium on the continent with the first ever “zero emission” station: the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica.
Project Background
Belgium is Back in Antarctica
The history of Belgium in Antarctica is one of the longest ones, if not the longest one. Ever since the days of De Gerlache and his forced overwintering in the Antarctic waters, Belgium has tied strong links with the white continent. One of the original signatories of the Antarctic Treaty, Belgium would go on to build the King Baudouin station. After only ten years of use and snow accumulation, the station had to be abandoned.
Forty years later, the IPF initiated the return of Belgium in Antarctica, with the building of the Princess Elisabeth Station during the IPY 2007-2008.
Integrating Existing Technologies
Passive Building
Not only relying on renewable energies to function, the Princess Elisabeth Station was also designed to minimize its energy needs. The layered design, for instance, allows to perfectly integrate the various rooms in the shell to maximize heat distribution and energy use.
Renewable Energies
Turning constraints into opportunities, the IPF team decided to take advantage of the omnipresent sun during the Antarctic summer months and the wind gusts from the plateau to rely solely on renewable energies for the station.
Smart Grid
While renewable energies are one way to minimize the ecological impact of the PEA station, optimization of the energy pushes the reasoning even further. Thanks to partner Schneider Electric, the IPF team was able to develop a smart grid that is up to three times more efficient than any similarly-sized research station in Antarctica.
Water Treatment
Ideally located for its freshwater supply, the Princess Elisabeth Station was designed to use as little of the precious resource as possible. Thanks to a water treatment system, all the water in the station will be purified and re-used for the showers, the toilets, or the washing machine. Excess waters will be extremely purified before being disposed of in a cleft near the ridge.
Facts and Figures
Location: 71°57'S 23°20'E
The Princess Elisabeth station was solidly anchored upon the granite ridge of Utsteinen Nunatak, in Dronning Maud Land, East-Antarctica.
Positioned at only 200 kilometres from the coast, the station opens up the Sør Rondane Mountains, the glaciers, the coast and the Antarctic Plateau to various scientific projects ranging from microbiology to meteoritics.
Thanks to its central position, the station allows the scientists to conduct most of their studies with limited stays in the field.
Meteorology
Weather conditions in Antarctica can be harsh, and with temperatures ranging between -50°C to -5°C, all team members can face serious cold. However, the conditions are not always to be seen as threats, and in the case of the Princess Elisabeth Station, they prove to be opportunities. The katabatic winds, for instance, power the wind turbines.
Not all weather conditions are opportunities though, and clearing the winter snow accumulation at their arrival, is the team's first physical challenge for the season. Although the station is only operated during the Austral summer (November-February) in almost permanent daylight, the team would have to face almost permanent darkness should the station ever be used in the winter.
Facilities
The Princess Elisabeth Station was designed to withstand the hardships of the Antarctic winter, but it is currently in use during the Austral summer at this point. However, over the course of its projected 25-year lifetime, the station could be used during the winter as well.
The station has plenty of space (400m² main building and 1,500m² technical areas) and can comfortably welcome 25 to 40 people.
Concept and Design
Constraints Seen as Opportunities
In re-arranging existing technologies according to a new plan, the IPF team managed to make PEA a showcase for perfect technology integration.
The wind gusts, the barren landscapes, and the surrounding mountains ... the International Polar Foundation managed to take advantage of the apparent constraints. The wind and the sun offer all the opportunities to cut fuel consumption dramatically while providing well-appreciated autonomy and simplifying logistics.
Building the Station
A Series of Challenges
A human adventure first and foremost, the building of the Princess Elisabeth Station has also come with its share of challenges, human, logistical, but also financial.
From financing the project to the actual building of the station, the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica project has presented a highly motivated team to the test, with the satisfaction of eventually fulfilling a dream.