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Wind Power News: Iceland
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational effort to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Thousands watched the demolition of a damaged wind turbine
Thousands of people watched a live stream of the demolition of a damaged wind turbine in Þykkvabær last night. According to Ásgeir Margeirsson, who managed the operation on behalf of the owners of the turbine, the blades of the turbine’s rotor had caught fire and started spinning on New Year’s Day. It was considered to be hazardous to leave it in that condition, especially considering the stormy weather that is forecast tonight. “Therefore, it was a priority to bring down . . . Complete story »
Green energy or giant eyesore? East Iceland residents debate wind turbines
Energy provider Orkusalan intends to erect wind turbines in the Útherað district in East Iceland, RÚV reports. But while supporters welcome these as a new source of green energy, detractors say the move will create visual pollution in the area, and may not be as green an energy source as advertised. Orkusalan received a permit to erect a 50-meter [164-ft] experimental mast at the Lagarfoss hydroelectric power plant in order to assess wind energy in the rural district. Eventually, the . . . Complete story »
Íbúar á Úthéraði óttast sjónmengun og örplast
Íbúar á Úthéraði óttast bæði sjón- og örplastmengum frá vindmyllum sem Orkusalan áformar að reisa við Lagarfossvirkjun. Stuðningsmenn segja mikilvægt að framleiða græna orku. Orkusalan hefur fengið leyfi fyrir 50 metra háu tilraunamastri til að meta vindorku við Lagarfossvirkjun á svokölluðu Úthéraði. Það er svæðið frá Héraðsflóa inn í átt að Egilsstöðum. Fyrirtækið áformar að reisa þar tvær 150-160 metra háar vindmyllur sem gætu framleitt tæp 10 megavött af raforku. Fulltrúar Miðflokks og VG í sveitarstjórn Múlaþings voru á móti . . . Complete story »
HIP unveils sprawling north Atlantic offshore wind ambitions
Hecate Independent Power Ltd. (HIP) has unveiled its HIP Atlantic Project, which calls for the installation of 10,000 MW of fixed and floating wind turbines in the North Atlantic connected to the U.K. grid by long-length, high-capacity, high-voltage direct current (HVDC) submarine power transmission cables. The transmission cables will be manufactured at a $277 million power cable plant which is slated to be built at a port in the northeast of the country. The total project cost is estimated at $30 . . . Complete story »
Permit for wind farm in South Iceland depends on migrating birds
National Planning Agency has agreed Biocraft’s next step in building a wind farm in Þykkvabær, South Iceland. Biocraft built two wind turbines in the area for a trial in 2014. The trial was successful and the company now wants to build 11 more. The area has been given the name Vindaborg, Wind City. The next step is an evaluation. The National Planning Agency asked that the environmental factor will specifically be looked into, the effect on the surrounding nature and . . . Complete story »
Wind farm planned for South Iceland
Plans are afoot to set up a wind farm near the South Iceland harbour town of Þorlákshöfn. The proposed wind farm is the brainchild of Arctic Hydro, who presented the plans to local authorities yesterday afternoon. According to Arctic Hydro engineer and CEO Skírnir Sigurbjörnsson, the turbines (shown in an artist’s impression above) are to be located some 3-4 km from the town of Þorlákshöfn, one of two departure points for ferries to the Westman Islands. The turbines would be . . . Complete story »
Some residents against local windmills being raised
Ten windmills are set to be raised in Þykkvabær, south Iceland, but local residents have started a petition calling for an end to the project. RÚV reports that an environmental assessment still needs to be made, and when all is said and done, construction could be as late as two years away. Nonetheless, the project is already facing local opposition. 50 area residents – a considerable number for an area as sparsely populated as Þykkvabær – have signed a petition . . . Complete story »
‘Communities must come before divisive wind turbines’ – Cllr Liam Doherty
Sinn Féin Councillor Liam Doherty has today (Monday) called on Minister Alan Kelly to do more to protect communities from the divisive nature of wind farm developments, stating that the interests of communities must come before those of developers. The Stranorlar Municipal District councillor made his comments ahead of tonight’s public meeting in Crossroads, Killygordon which has been organised by locals opposed to the planned wind farm development for Carrickduff Hill and Lismullyduff. “As we’ve already seen from the recent . . . Complete story »
Officials handed 150 objections to Cork windfarm
About 150 objections to a proposed windfarm were yesterday handed to planning officials at Cork County Hall as part of a public protest by residents. A petition of 300 signatures against the windfarm in Barnadivane and a document containing the community’s official objection to the project will be submitted to the authorities shortly. The protest at County Hall by about 40 residents follows a community ‘walk of solidarity’ on Sunday. Planning permission has been sought for the construction of six . . . Complete story »
Environmentalists in uproar as Iceland pays the price for green energy push
Europe’s largest wilderness is paying the price of Iceland’s decision to market cheap, “green”, renewable electricity to the world, as a massive new smelter nears completion. Across a pool of oily water deep inside a rocky cavern carved into a mountain, two steel pipes stretch up into a black void. They rise as high as the Empire State Building. Within weeks these pipes will be connected to enormous turbines and some 40km (25 miles) away, the waters of a 57 . . . Complete story »
