Tímarit Verkfræðingafélags Íslands - 01.02.1984, Blaðsíða 14

Icelandic experience in
transfer of energy technology
by
Injjvar Birgir Fridleifsson, UNIJ Geothermal Co-ordinator, National Energy Authority, Reykjavík, Iceland.
Andrés Svanbjörnsson, Managing Director, Virkir Consulting Group Ltd., Reykjavík, Iceland, and
Loftur Thorsteinsson, General Manager, VST Ltd., Consulting Engineers, Reykjavík, Iceland.
ABSTRACT
Until 1970, Icelandic Scientists and
engineers obtained their university
education abroad. Basic technology
transfer was therefore largely through
education in Europe and N-America.
For major energy projects foreign con-
sultants were hired. The number of
chartered engineers rose from 13 in 1912
to 890 in 1982.
The first hydropower station in
Iceland was commissioned in 1904. Six-
teen power stations up to 8 MW were
designed by Icelandic engineers until
1960, but three stations (total capacity
89 MW) in one river by foreign con-
sultants. A 240 MW station commis-
sioned in 1969 was designed by foreign
consultants, but 150 and 210 MW sta-
tions commissioned in 1977 and 1981
were designed jointly by Icelandic and
foreign engineers. Five hydroprojects
(total capacity 700 MW) planned for the
near future will be completely designed
by Icelandic engineers.
The development of geothermal in-
stallations has largely been in the hands
of lcelandic scientists and engineers as
lceland has been one of the pioneer
countries in harnessing this unconven-
tional energy source. The first geother-
mal district heating system in Iceland
was installed in 1930. In 1981, 75% of
the population heated their houses by
geothermal heat. Since 1951, lcelandic
geothermal experts have worked as con-
sultants in 32 countries. In 1979 an in-
ternational training course in advanced
geothermal technology was started in
Iceland under the auspices of the UN
University.
In the Icelandic experience at home
and abroad the key to a successful
technology transfer lies in the level of
education of the counterpart of the
foreign consultants. Prior to acting as
the local counterpart he should prefer-
ably receive some advanced training
abroad. This gives him a sense of
authority valuable for stressing the
significance of local conditions and in
resisting tendencies of foreign con-
sultants to play safe by overdimension-
ing. This will further secure that ex-
perience gained during the design and
construction of an energy project is kept
in the country.
INTRODUCTION
Iceland is a mountainous country of
about 103.000 km2 with a population of
only about 230.000 but ample sources
of hydropower and geothermal energy.
The total run-off energy of the country
has been estimated at 187 TWh/year
and thereof the theoretically harness-
able hydropower energy 64 TWh/year
(1). However, when cost and environ-
mental aspects are taken into considera-
tion, the practically harnessable energy
is probably closer to 30 TWh/year. The
present installed hydropower capacity is
about 750 MW, with a potential energy
production of 4 TWh/year. Technically
harnessable geothermal resources in the
country are estimated to be about
3,500 x 1018 Joule (2), but the installed
geothermal capacity is about 41 MWe
(electric) and 960 MWt (thermal) (3). In
1978 the total primary energy consump-
tion in Iceland was 23.2xIO15 Joule
(6.4 TWh/year) from imported fossil
fuel, I8.6xl015 Joule (5.2 TWh/year)
from geothermal power and I0.4x 1015
Joule (2.9 TWh/year) from hydropower
(4).
To demonstrate how Iceland has
developed from being dependent on
foreign expertise for the design and con-
struction of large energy projects
towards self sufficiency and export of
technological knowhow, this article will
in separate chapters deal briefly with
technology education, with the deveiop-
ment of hydropower as well as geother-
Grein þessi er um reynslu íslendinga af
flutningi tœkniþekkingar þjóða I milli.
Hún var upphaflega samin vegna
Alþjóða orkumálaráðstefnunnar 1983,
en var ekki birt.
mal projects in the country, and finally
summarize the Icelandic experience in
the transfer of energy technology both
at home and abroad.
TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION
Until 1970, Icelandic engineers and
scientists obtained a part of or all their
university education abroad. Basic
technology transfer was therefore large-
ly through education at universities and
technical colleges in Europe and
N-America. Prior to the Second World
War university education was mainly
sought in Denmark, Sweden and Ger-
many, but during the war many
students went to the USA. Due to
restrictions and communication dif-
ficulties in Europe during the Second
World War the University of Iceland
started to offer education in engineer-
ing. From the 1940’s students of
engineering could take the basic courses
(first 3 years) at the University of
lceland, but had to go abroad to com-
plete their studies. They went preferably
to Denmark, Norway and Sweden, as
agreements had been made between the
University of Iceland and universities in
these countries. During the last three
decades a large number of students have
gone for undergraduate or postgraduate
training in science and technology to the
Scandinavian countries, U.K., U.S.A.
and W-Germany, but in smaller
numbers to E-Germany, France,
U.S.S.R. and others. Since 1970, B.Sc.
degrees have been given at the Universi-
6 - TÍMARIT VFÍ 1984