Keeping up the Princess
Every year the team from the International Polar Foundation must do a lot to make sure that the world's first "zero emission" polar research station, the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, remains in optimal condition to host scientsits from Belgium and around the world. This gallery shows a series of works the team has been doing to keep the station in excellent condition.
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Solar panel expert Johan Demuylder is working on an electric panel at the Princess Elisabeth Antarctica to improve the solar power performance of the station.
© International Polar Foundation
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Guus Luppens, Johan Demuylder, and Paul Herman are busy changing solar panels to latest generation models.
© International Polar Foundation
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Strong winds and heavy snow during the previous austral winter had damaged a few solar panels, requiring their replacment.
© International Polar Foundation
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Carpenter Paulo Dudas is modifying the new annex to extend parts of the garage and build a new storage area for the products used for the maintenance of the machines.
© International Polar Foundation
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Expedition Leader Alain Hubert and plumbers Bernard Polet, Paul Herman, and Tim Stassin discuss the installation of a new water treatment system in a newly dedicated area of the south annex.
© International Polar Foundation
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A 48-hour snowstorm in late December 2021 covered the entire working area in a layer of snow up to 3 metres deep in palaces, blocking access to containers and living quarters outside the station.
© International Polar Foundation
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When a storm comes, visibility can drop to only a few metres and wind can blow well above 100 km/h around the station. These are white-out conditions.
© International Polar Foundation
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This is what the Princess Elisabeth station looked like after a 48-hour snow storm that covered the whole working area with several metres of snow.
© International Polar Foundation
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Containers modified into mobile living units and fully equipped with a scientific laboratory had to be cleared of all the snow that accumulated during the storm.
© International Polar Foundation
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As soon as the wind blows, a lot of snow accumulates behind every building and machine. To avoid getting submerged and maintain adequate access to the station door, we need to clear the snow way several times per day.
© International Polar Foundation
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While the team clears the station's entrance by hand, Prinoth tractors are used to remove several hundred cubic metres of snow that has accumulated in front of the station and on the working terrace where all machines and containers are parked.
© International Polar Foundation
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It's a mammoth task but somebody's got to do it!
© International Polar Foundation
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Mechanic Tim Grosrenaud takes advantage of the storm to shelter all ski-doos in the new garage and perform general maintenance on them.
© International Polar Foundation
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The team performs maintenance on a Prinoth tractor in the new heated garage located in PEA's north annex. Construction of the north annex was finished during the 2020-2021 BELARE season.
© International Polar Foundation
