Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Plant
Fljótsdalur Power Station Kárahnjúkar Dam | ||
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Annual generation | 4,600 GWh |
Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Plant (
The Kárahnjúkar Dam[1] (Icelandic: Kárahnjúkastífla [ˈkʰauːraˌn̥juːkaˌstipla])[2] is the centrepiece of the five dams and the largest of its type in Europe, standing 193 metres (633 ft) tall with a length of 730 metres (2,400 ft) and comprising 8.5 million cubic metres (300×10 6 cu ft) of material.
The project has been heavily criticised for its environmental impact and its use of foreign workers.
Description
The hydroelectricity project harnesses the rivers Jökulsá á Dal and Jökulsá í Fljótsdal by creating three reservoirs with five concrete-face rock-filled embankment dams; three on the Jökulsá á Dal and two on the Jökulsá í Fljótsdal. After being used in the Fljótsdalur Power Station, all water used in electricity production is discharged into the river Jökulsá í Fljótsdal.
Three dams on the Jökulsá á Dal; the Kárahnjúkar Dam (Icelandic: Kárahnjúkastífla), the Desjará Dam[1] (Icelandic: Desjarárstífla)[2] and the Sauðárdalur Dam[1] (Icelandic: Sauðárdalsstífla)[2] create the Hálslón Reservoir. At 193 metres (633 ft) tall and 730 metres (2,400 ft) long, the Kárahnjúkar Dam is the largest dam in the project and the largest of its type in Europe as well. The 60-metre (200 ft) tall and 1,000-metre (3,300 ft) long Desjará Dam and the 25-metre (82 ft) tall and 1,100-metre (3,600 ft) long Sauðárdalur Dam are saddle or auxiliary dams that maintain the desired height of the Hálslón Reservoir. Water from the 25-kilometre (16 mi) long, 2.1-cubic-kilometre (1,700,000 acre⋅ft) capacity Hálslón Reservoir (about the size of Manhattan island in New York) is diverted down a 39.7-kilometre (24.7 mi) long, 7.2–7.6-metre (24–25 ft) diameter headrace tunnel towards the Fljótsdalur Power Station.[4][5]
On the river Jökulsá í Fljótsdal, the 26-metre (85 ft) tall and 1,650-metre (5,410 ft) long Kelduá Dam forms the 60-million-cubic-metre (2.1×10 9 cu ft) capacity Kelduárlón Reservoir. Downstream from the Kelduá Dam is the 37-metre (121 ft) tall, 620-metre (2,030 ft) long Ufsarstífla dam which forms the Ufsarlón, a much smaller reservoir. Water from the Ufsarlón Reservoir is diverted down a 13.3-kilometre (8.3 mi) long, 6-metre (20 ft) diameter headrace tunnel where it joins the Hálslón Reservoir headrace tunnel.[4][5]
Before each of the headrace tunnels from the Hálslón Reservoir or Ufsarlón Reservoir reach the underground power station, they both join to form a single combined headrace tunnel. The single headrace tunnel later splits into two 0.8-kilometre (0.50 mi) long, 4-metre (13 ft) diameter steel-lined
Fjarðaál aluminium smelter
The Fjarðaál aluminium smelter was completed June 2007 and reached full operation in April 2008. Construction began in 2004 and the facility contains a smelter, cast house, rod production and deep-water
History
Using the rivers Jökulsá á Dal and Jökulsá í Fljótsdal along with other resources in eastern Iceland has been on the drawing board since the 1970s. From 1975 to 2002, several international companies had planned or attempted to build a metal plant at
Construction
The project is funded by
Preparatory work on the project began in August 2002 and construction on the Kárahnjúkar Dam and headrace tunnels for the Hálslón Reservoir began in April 2003. In September of the same year, construction began on the underground power station. Construction on both the Desjará Dam and the Sauðárdalur Dam began in April 2004. In June 2006, construction of the Kelduá Dam and Ufsarstífla Dam began and in September, the Hálslón Reservoir began to fill. In mid-2008, the Kelduá and Ufsarstífla Dams were complete and the Ufsarlón Reservoir headrace tunnel was ready.[5][9]
Construction on the headrace tunnels was done by three full-face tunnel boring machines, while remaining areas were drilled and blasted.[5] This was the first time that tunnel boring machines were used in Iceland.[10]
There were several workplace fatalities during the construction process including: Arni Thor Bjarnason, Eilifur Gopi Hammond, Ludvik Alfred Halldorsson and Kresimir Durinic.[11]
Criticism
The dams have been the frequent subject of protests by
Representation in film and literature
The project as a whole was criticised heavily in the 2006 book
See also
- Economy of Iceland
- Renewable energy in Iceland
- Hydroelectricity in Iceland
References
- ^ a b c d "Fljótsdalur Power Station". landsvirkjun.com. Landsvirkjun, National Power Company of Iceland. Archived from the original on 13 July 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Fljótsdalsstöð". landsvirkjun.is. Landsvirkjun, National Power Company of Iceland. Archived from the original on 13 July 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
- ^ Kárahnjúkar HEP – Landsvirkjun – September 2009 Archived 11 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c d Key Figures of the Kárahnjúkar Hydroelectric Project Archived 17 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c d e f The Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Project Overview Archived 17 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Alcoa – Fjarðaál smelter information". Archived from the original on 10 January 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
- ^ Large-scale industry in East Iceland Archived 17 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ The Icelandic contractor Suðurverk hf was the main contractor working on Desjará Dam and Sauðárdalur Dam Karahnjúkar website – Impregilo Archived 27 October 2004 at the National and University Library of Iceland
- ^ Kárahnjúkar Construction Schedule Archived 3 March 2006 at the National and University Library of Iceland
- ^ "Looking at tunnel roughness 3 April 2008". Archived from the original on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
- ^ Veal, Lowana (2007) ICELAND: Dam Proves Fatal for Workers, IPS http://www.ipsnews.net/2007/01/iceland-dam-proves-fatal-for-workers/ Archived 24 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Iceland be Damned", Radio Netherlands Archives, February 8, 2003
- ^ "Giant dam and smelter boost economy and raise tensions in Iceland". Archived from the original on 8 November 2007. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
- ^ "A Complete Guide to Hydroelectric Power Rivers in Iceland".
- ^ "Saving Iceland » Dams".
- ^ Andri Snær Magnason, Dreamland: A Self-Help Manual for a Frightened Nation. Translated by Nicholas Jones. London: Citizen Press, 2008. Originally published as Draumalandið: Sjálfshjálparbók handa hræddri þjóð. Reykjavík: Mál og menning, 2006.
- ^ Þorfinnur Guðnason and Andri Snær Magnason, dir., Draumalandið [Dreamland], Ground Control Productions, 2009.
- ^ Nicola Dibben, 'Music and Environmentalism in Iceland', in: Holt, F. and Kärjä, A-V. (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Popular Music in the Nordic Countries. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017: 163-84 (pp. 167-69); ISBN 9780190603908.
- ISBN 978-1-950192-70-0.
External links
- Kárahnjúkar HEP Overview – Landsvirkjun – September 2009
- Anti-dam website
- Kárahnjúkar – 2005 – picture gallery from islandsmyndir.is
- Kárahnjúkar – 2006 – picture gallery from islandsmyndir.is
- Kárahnjúkar – 2007 A – picture gallery from islandsmyndir.is
- Kárahnjúkar – 2007 B – picture gallery from islandsmyndir.is
- Kárahnjúkar – 2008 – picture gallery from islandsmyndir.is
- Kárahnjúkar – Hringiða, 2011 – picture gallery from islandsmyndir.is
- Kárahnjúkar – Dams, 2011 – picture gallery from islandsmyndir.is