Iceland review - 2007, Page 10

8 ICELAND REVIEW
Views of Iceland | IR 4.07 | Vol. 45
views of iceland
Kárahnjúkar Hydroelectric Plant Begins Operating
The hydroelectric plant at Kárahnjúkar in Ice­
land’s eastern highlands began operating Novem ­
ber 5 when water from Hálslón dam was pumped
into the first turbine of the Fljótsdalsstöd power
station, Fréttabladid reported November 5.
The plant’s 40­kilometer­long headrace tunn el
leaks in Glúmstadadalur valley, where glacial water
runs into the rock stream Hrafnkela. Kára hnjúkar
Public Relations Director Sigurdur Arn alds told
RÚV November 5 that the leak had been expect­
ed and will diminish with decreased press ure on
the tunnel once the plant is in full ope rat ion.
Arnalds said the next step is to measure the extent
of the leak in detail and then try to prevent it by
cleaning or condensing the tunnel.
The turbines at the Fljótsdalsstöd power station
will be launched one by one until the hydroelect ric
plant has reached full efficiency levels and more
alum inum pots have begun operating at the Alcoa
Fjardarál smelter in Reydarfjördur, for which Kára­
hnjúkar will produce elect ricity.
The Kárahnjúkar dam began operation on Septem­
ber 28, 2006, when the locks to Hálslón were open­
ed and glacial river Jökulsá á Dal began filling the
la goon.
Once in full operation the Kárahnjúkar plant
will produce 690 megawatts of install power with
six turbines, each one capable of producing 115 mega­
watts. In comparison, the entire production of
install power in Iceland before the Kára hnjúkar
plant began operating was 1,300 megawatts. Kára­
hnjúkar’s annual energy pro duction will be 4.6
terawatt­hours.
At 200 meters, Kárahnjúkar is the highest dam in
Europe of its kind, a concrete­faced­rock­fill dam.
The dam also has an extensive tunnel system, 73
kilo meters of tunnels in total, the long est being
the headrace tunnel at 40 kilometers.
Hells Angels Members Arrested
at Keflavík and Immediately
Deported
Eight members of the Hells Angels motorcycle
club were arrested at Keflavík International
Airport on November 2 and denied entry to
Iceland. They spent the night at the airport
and 16 police officers escorted them out of the
country the follow ing day, Morgunbladid re­
ported November 3.
Some of the arrested club members, who come
from Norway and Denmark, have extensive
crimi nal histories and have committed crimes
related to blackmail, drug trade and vio lent be­
havior. Their arrival, allegedly related to the
11th anni versary of the Icelandic motorcycle
club Fáfnir, was considered a threat to Iceland’s
national security.
Police searched the headquarters of Fáfnir
on November 1 and confiscated both illegal