Landsvirkjun

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Krafla Geothermal Station

Landsvirkjun is the national electricity company of the Republic of Iceland. It was founded by the city of Reykjavík and the state of Iceland. Its general purpose is to produce and provide electricity for heavy industry and to sell electricity to smaller providers around Iceland including Orkuveita Reykjavíkur (also known as OR) Reykjavík Energy and Iceland State Electricity (RARIK).

[edit] The electricity network of Landsvirkjun

Landsvirkjun owns and runs the main electricity network of Iceland. The network is a circular network so if one main line gets disconnected because of icing or for some other reasons, the network continues to provide electricity to the public and the heavy industry of Iceland.

Landsvirkjun's two subsidiary companies provide the following services in the electricity network:

- Landsnet (Operation of main lines) - Fjarski (Telecommunication services for remote controlling of electrical plants)

[edit] Power plants of Landsvirkjun

Landsvirkjun has eleven power plants, mostly hydro-power plants and steam-power plants and also a couple of oil-powered stations for spare power.

These stations include Bjarnarflag (3MW), Blöndustöð (150MW), Búrfellsstöð (273MW), Hrauneyjafossstöð (210MW), Kröflustöð (60MW), Laxárstöðvar (28MW), Sigöldsustöð (150MW), Sogsstöðvar (89MW), Straumsvík (35MW), Sultartangastöð (120MW) and Vatnsfellsstöð (90MW).

Landsvirkjun currently has one hydro-power plant under construction in eastern Iceland, the Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Project; the finished plant will be named Kárahnjúkavirkjun after two nearby mountains. It will be the largest power plant in Iceland when finished and provide 690MW of power for an aluminum plant in the town of Reyðarfjörður. The project is heavily criticised for its environmental and economic impact.