Calyon’s Régions de France department contributed to the Princess Elisabeth project by sponsoring all the solar panels for the station. After two years of discussions with Alain Hubert and the International Polar Foundation, Calyon also organized a seminar in June 2007 to discuss sustainable development issues and their application to the business world.

On September 5, 2007, the new polar station was inaugurated in Brussels. Assembled in place and then disassembled, the huge polar structure was then transported by ship to Antarctica and installed in late 2007 on a granite promontory in Queen Maud Land.

The zero-carbon-emission station can accommodate 20 persons.

Solar panels with total surface area of 380 square meters (50.6 kWh), 8 wind turbines (48 kWh) and two backup diesel generators (44 kWh) will guarantee production of renewable energy. Water will be 75% recycled, with treatment by filters, UV treatments, activated carbon and biological processing. It will be stored in a bergschrund, a natural crevasse between rock and ice.

The new station is expected to last at least 25 years.

IPF is a scientific organization based in Brussels. Its principal aim is to communicate with the public and authorities to build awareness of the consequences of climate change.

The foundation was created in 2002 by three Belgians, explorer Alain Hubert and Professors Emeriti André Berger, a climatologist at the Université Catholique de Louvain, and Hugo Decleir, Chairman of the Belgian National Committee for Antarctic research and a glaciologist at the Vrije Universeit Brussel. HRH Prince Philippe of Belgium is Honorary Chairman of the IPF.