17 February 2009: Belgium’s Princess Elisabeth station in the eastern Antarctic has become the world’s first carbon-free polar research station. It will contribute data to the programmes of the International Polar Year, a scientific endeavor organized by the International Council for Science and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

The Princess Elisabeth station operates entirely on renewable energy sources, including a water-recycling system, wind turbines and solar panels. Also, the window’s geometry helps conserve energy.
The station, which was commissioned by the Belgian Federal Government and built by the International Polar Foundation, was inaugurated on 15 February 2009. [WMO Press Release] [Princess Elisabeth Station]