After the successful offloading of the Mary Arctica and the Shirase at Crown Bay, the Belgo-Japanese expedition departed on its traverse. Within the framework of the collaboration with JARE 51 (Japanese Antarctic Research), the Belgian BELARE team provided the Japanese expedition with logistical support.During the traverse, the convoy faced white-out conditions and large crevasse zones, before passing by the former Japanese Asuka Station that was abandoned in 1991. This return to the past was a very emotional moment for those like Professor Tsushiya Noriyoshi, leader the JARE 51 expedition, who knew the base while it was still in use.On January 2nd, the convoy finally reached the research site of the Japanese team at Balchenfjella Glacier, where the Belgians left a Prinoth with a driver and a mechanic to help with moving material.

This short film travels back in time to the first Princess Elisabeth construction phase of 2007-2008. Find out what the conditions were like at the Utsteinen base camp and see how innovative one can get when left with the bare minimum.

Shortly after they arrived at Utsteinen, Alain Hubert and a few other members of the BELARE 2008-09 expedition left on a reconnaissance mission in the Mounts Belgica. The first objective of this mission was to evaluate the various access routes and sites of general interest. But it was also a bit in memory of their predecessors that some of the BELARE expedition team members decided to visit this mountain range.

The station has been closed and is entirely insulated. The room dividers have now been added, suggesting the time has come to offer a tour of the inside of the station. From the garages up to the roof, you will visit the hallway, the future living areas and the scientific laboratories.

The Mary Arctica, successor of the Ivan Papanin, has arrived at Crown Bay on December 25th, 2009 after nine days at sea. The BELARE 2009-2010 team went down there to help the ship soft deck and start the offloading of 15 containers (more than 90 tons of material in total).The offloading happened without any problem or injury in less than 24 hours thanks to an extremely motivated team. Waste containers were then loaded on board before the ship got back on its way.

As the Lidia (from ALCI) lands at Utsteinen, it brings a new group of visitors to the Princess Elisabeth Station. Among the newcomers are Johan Berte, the new kitchen crew, and the members of different scientific teams (BELDIVA, DELAQUA, and HYDRANT).

This is the message T.R.H. Prince Philippe and his daughter Princess Elisabeth of Belgium addressed to Alain Hubert, the International Polar Foundation (IPF) and to everyone having participated in the Princess Elisabeth Station project. This message was filmed and pre-recorded in the IPF offices of Brussels and was broadcasted during the official inauguration of the station in Antarctica on February 15th, 2009.

There's no improvising the building of a "zero emission" station. Aside from having to determine the various ways of producing energy, you also have to find a way to store the energy and a way to coordinate the sources supplying the base. Ecological research is therefore, in addition to being a model for the future, a lesson in energy management and logistics.

Although the Princess Elisabeth Station is now finished and the last members of the expedition have just returned from Utsteinen, the story isn't over yet. The actual life of the station has just begun, showing an example of how to face the challenges of the future. Next season, the station will accomodate new scientific research teams.