Wind turbines
Operated by Landsvirkjun
Today, the Icelandic power company Landsvirkjun started the operation of two wind turbines in an area known as Hafið, within the construction area of Búrfell Power Station in the south of Iceland.
The turbines have a total of 2 MW of installed power. The project is part of Landsvirkjun's research and development project on the advantages of wind power in Iceland. Many areas in Iceland show great potential for the successful utilisation of wind energy.
The wind turbines each have a 900 kW capacity and together their generating capacity could be up to 5.4 GWh per year. The masts reach a height of 55 metres and each spade measures 22 metres in length. When the spades are at their highest position each unit will achieve a height of 77 metres.
Like all large structures, wind turbines have an inevitable visual impact. However, a permanent impact on the overall appearance of the environment is not considered high in comparison to other types of power plants. Wind turbines can be easily dismantled, leaving the land almost unspoiled.
Equally, it is relatively easy to install wind turbines and thus increase production, if sufficient land is available.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office, Landsvirkjun, Landsnet and the University of Iceland are all participants in a project called Icewind. The project objectives, related to offshore wind, include resource mapping near Iceland and improved land-wind resource map such that full-scale studies can be carried out on the integration of hydro- and wind power in Iceland. The project is supported financially by the Nordic Top-level Research Initiative and the Nordic wind energy industry.
