Landsvirkjun

Landsvirkjun
public partnership
Industry energy
Founded 1 July 1965
Founder city of Reykjavík
the state of Iceland
Headquarters Reykjavík, Iceland
Key people
Bryndís Hlöðversdóttir, chairman
Hörður Arnarson, CEO
Products electricity
Owner the state of Iceland
Subsidiaries Landsnet
Landsvirkjun Power
Orkufjarskipti
Icelandic Power Insurance
Hraunaveita
Website www.landsvirkjun.com

Landsvirkjun, the National Power Company of Iceland, is Iceland's largest electricity generator and one of the ten largest producers of renewable energy in Europe. Landsvirkjun operates 17 power plants in Iceland concentrated on five main areas of operation.

History

Landsvirkjun was founded on 1 July 1965 by the state of Iceland and the city of Reykjavik. The city of Reykjavík contributed to the company three power stations at the Sog River. Shortly after its founding construction on the Búrfell hydropower station began. From 1965 until 2005 the purpose of Landsvirkjun was to produce and distribute high voltage electricity. The municipality of Akureyri acquired a share in Landsvirkjun in 1983 and became the third owner. Three hydropower stations at the Laxá River previously owned by the municipality of Akureyri were merged into Landsvirkjun. The hydropower stations Búrfell, Sigalda, Hrauneyjafoss, Blanda, Sultartangi, Vatnsfell, and Fljótsdalsstöð were all built by Landsvirkjun. The geothermal power station Krafla came under Landsvirkjun's ownership in 1986. Through a new electricity act in 2005 the company's Transmission Division became Landsnet, an independent limited company and a subsidiary of Landsvirkjun. Landsnet owns and operates the Icelandic transmission system and manages the country‘s electricity system. In 2007 the state of Iceland took over the ownership shares of Akureyri and Reykjavík in Landsvirkjun, turning it into a public partnership, fully owned by the state of Iceland. In December 2012, Landsvirkjun erected 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.

Power stations

Landsvirkjun has 16 power stations, of which 13 are hydropower stations, two geothermal power stations and one wind power field.

Station Year Type Capacity (MW) Production GWh/year
Laxá I 1939 Hydropower 5 3
Laxá II 1953 Hydropower 9 78
Laxá III 1973 Hydropower 13.5 92
Ljósifoss 1937 Hydropower 14.2
Írafoss 1953 Hydropower 48 236
Steingrímsstöð 1959 Hydropower 27 122
Búrfell 1972 Hydropower 270 2300
Sigalda 1977 Hydropower 150 920
Hrauneyjafoss 1981 Hydropower 210 1300
Sultartangi 1999 Hydropower 120 1020
Vatnsfell 2001 Hydropower 90 490
Blanda 1991 Hydropower 150 990
Fljótsdalur 2007 Hydropower 690 5000
Krafla 1977 Geothermal 60 500
Bjarnarflag 1969 Geothermal 3 18
Hafið 2013 Windpower 2 R&D project

See also: List of power stations in Iceland

Landsvirkjun operates some hydropower plants in other countries:

Subsidiaries

Landsvirkjun has five subsidiaries. Landsnet (64.7% of shares is owned by Landsvirkjun) is the TSO transmission system operator of Icelandic high-voltage electricity grid. Landsvirkjun Power is to use Landsvirkjun’s knowledge to conduct consultancy projects in matters related to energy on the international market. Orkufjarskipti provides telecommunication services while Icelandic Power Insurance is a captive insurance company, which handles insurance and re-insurance for Landsvirkjun’s power stations and, in addition, supervises insurance for construction projects. Hraunaveita ehf. took on specific tasks in connection with the Kárahnjúkar Project, but now has no operations today.

External links