On September 5, 2007, the International Polar Foundation (IPF), Brussels, Belgium, an IGLO partner, unveiled a new polar research base for Antarctica – the Princess Elisabeth. In November the station will be dismantled and transported to Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica, where temperatures drop to -50˚C (-58˚F) with winds up to 250 kph (155 mph).
Princess Elisabeth is the first ever “zero emissions” station. Powered by solar panels and wind turbines, it is designed to have minimal impact on the climate. The 20-person capacity building will recycle all waste, and fossil fuel will only be used for back-up systems. Belgian explorer Alain Humbert, founder and chairman of IPF, said that by showing that it is possible to construct an environmentally conscious building in an extremely cold and harsh region, IPF hopes to communicate that the same thing can be done anywhere in the world.
