Landsvirkjun Explained

Landsvirkjun
Type:public partnership
Founder:city of Reykjavík
the state of Iceland
Location City:Reykjavík
Location Country:Iceland
Key People:Jónas Þór Guðmundsson, chairman
Hörður Arnarson, CEO
Industry:energy
Products:electricity
Owner:the state of Iceland
Subsid:Landsnet
Landsvirkjun Power
Orkufjarskipti
Icelandic Power Insurance
Hraunaveita

Landsvirkjun, (in Icelandic pronounced as /ˈlan(t)sˌvɪr̥cʏn/) the National Power Company of Iceland, is Iceland's largest electricity generator.[1] Landsvirkjun operates 21 power plants in Iceland concentrated on five main areas of operation.[2]

History

Landsvirkjun was founded on 1 July 1965 by the state of Iceland and the city of Reykjavík.[3] The city of Reykjavík contributed to the company three power stations on the Sog River.[4] 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 5% share in Landsvirkjun in 1983 and became the third owner.[5] Three hydropower stations on the Laxá River previously owned by the municipality of Akureyri were merged into Landsvirkjun.[6] 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 1985. Through a new electricity act in 2005 the company's Transmission Division became Landsnet, an independent limited company and a subsidiary of Landsvirkjun.[7] Landsnet owns and operates the Icelandic transmission system and manages the country's electricity system.[8] 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.[9] 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 21 power stations, of which 15 are hydropower stations, three geothermal power stations and two wind power field.

Station Year built Type Nameplate
capacity
(MW) 		Production
(GWh/year) 		Capacity factor
Laxá I[10] 1939 Hydropower 5 3 6.8%
Laxá II[11] 1953 Hydropower 9 78 98.9%
Laxá III[12] 1973 Hydropower 13.5 92 77.8%
Ljósafoss[13] 1937 Hydropower 16 105 74.1%
Írafoss[14] 1953 Hydropower 48 236 56.1%
Steingrímsstöð[15] 1959 Hydropower 27 122 51.6%
Búrfell [16] 1969 Hydropower 270 2300 97.2%
Sigalda[17] 1978 Hydropower 150 920 70.0%
Hrauneyjafoss[18] 1981 Hydropower 210 1300 70.7%
Blanda[19] 1991 Hydropower 150 990 75.3%
Sultartangi[20] 1999Hydropower 125 1020 93.1%
Vatnsfell[21] 2001 Hydropower 90 490 62.1%
Fljótsdalur[22] 2007 Hydropower 690 4800 79.4%
Búðarháls[23] 2014Hydropower9558570.3%
Krafla[24] 1977 Geothermal 60 500 95.1%
Bjarnarflag[25] 1969 Geothermal 5 42 95.9%
Theistareykir[26] 2017Geothermal9073893.6%
Hafið[27] 2013 Windpower 1.8 6.7 42.5%
Sum by type (calculated figure)Hydropower1898.5 13041 78.4%
Sum by type (calculated figure)Geothermal155 1280 94.3%
Sum total (calculated figure)All types combined2055.3 14327.7 79.6%

Subsidiaries

Landsvirkjun has five subsidiaries:

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Landsvirkjun. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210419000808/https://www.hydropower.org/our-members/landsvirkjun. 2021-04-19. 2022-02-09. www.hydropower.org. en.
  2. Web site: Power stations - The National Power Company of Iceland. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220210085142/https://www.landsvirkjun.com/powerstations. 2022-02-10. 2022-02-09. www.landsvirkjun.com. en-gb.
  3. Web site: Landsvirkjun.com - The National Power Company of Iceland. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220202212633/https://www.landsvirkjun.com/. 2022-02-02. 2022-02-09. www.landsvirkjun.com. en-gb.
  4. Web site: History of Reykjavík Energy. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220210085644/https://www.or.is/en/about-or/operations/history-of-reykjavik-energy/. 2022-02-10. 2022-02-09. www.or.is. en.
  5. Web site: On ice - International Water Power. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220210085919/https://www.waterpowermagazine.com/features/featureon-ice-722/. 2022-02-10. 2022-02-09. www.waterpowermagazine.com. 20 April 2004 .
  6. Web site: The Laxa River in North Iceland has 3 hydro power stations with a capacity of 28 MW. live. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220210113149/http://www.diamondringroad.com/laxapowerstation.html. 2022-02-10. 2022-02-09. www.diamondringroad.com.
  7. Web site: EUR-Lex - E2015C0319(01) - EN - EUR-Lex. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220210102325/https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3AE2015C0319%2801%29. 2022-02-10. 2022-02-09. eur-lex.europa.eu. en.
  8. Web site: Business. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210517232816/https://www.landsnet.is/english/business/. 2021-05-17. 2022-02-09. www.landsnet.is. en.
  9. 14 December 2011. EFTA SURVEILLANCE AUTHORITY DECISION of 14 December 2011 on the power contract between Landsvirkjun and Íslenska kísilfélagið ehf. (Iceland). live. European Free Trade Association Surveillance Authority. 2. https://web.archive.org/web/20220210001127/https://www.eftasurv.int/cms/sites/default/files/documents/decision-392-11-COL.pdf. 10 February 2022. 10 February 2022.
  10. Web site: Laxá Power Station I - The National Power Company of Iceland. live. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220210120734/https://www.landsvirkjun.com/powerstations/laxa-i. 2022-02-10. 2022-02-09. www.landsvirkjun.com. en-gb.
  11. Web site: Laxá Power Station II - The National Power Company of Iceland. live. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220210120632/https://www.landsvirkjun.com/powerstations/laxa-ii. 2022-02-10. 2022-02-09. www.landsvirkjun.com. en-gb.
  12. Web site: Laxá Power Station III - The National Power Company of Iceland. live. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220210120533/https://www.landsvirkjun.com/powerstations/laxa-iii. 2022-02-10. 2022-02-09. www.landsvirkjun.com. en-gb.
  13. Web site: Ljósafoss Power Station - The National Power Company of Iceland. live. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220210120443/https://www.landsvirkjun.com/powerstations/ljosafoss. 2022-02-10. 2022-02-09. www.landsvirkjun.com. en-gb.
  14. Web site: Írafossstod Power Station - The National Power Company of Iceland. live. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220210120351/https://www.landsvirkjun.com/powerstations/irafoss. 2022-02-10. 2022-02-09. www.landsvirkjun.com. en-gb.
  15. Web site: Steingrímsstöd Power Station - The National Power Company of Iceland. live. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220210120240/https://www.landsvirkjun.com/powerstations/steingrimsstod. 2022-02-10. 2022-02-09. www.landsvirkjun.com. en-gb.
  16. Web site: Búrfell power station - The National Power Company of Iceland. live. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220210120128/https://www.landsvirkjun.com/powerstations/burfell. 2022-02-10. 2022-02-09. www.landsvirkjun.com. en-gb.
  17. Web site: Sigalda Power Station - The National Power Company of Iceland. live. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220210120021/https://www.landsvirkjun.com/powerstations/sigoldustod. 2022-02-10. 2022-02-09. www.landsvirkjun.com. en-gb.
  18. Web site: Hrauneyjafoss Power Station - The National Power Company of Iceland. live. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220210115936/https://www.landsvirkjun.com/powerstations/hrauneyjafoss. 2022-02-10. 2022-02-09. www.landsvirkjun.com. en-gb.
  19. Web site: Blöndustöð - The National Power Company of Iceland. live. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220210115848/https://www.landsvirkjun.com/powerstations/blondustod. 2022-02-10. 2022-02-09. www.landsvirkjun.com. en-gb.
  20. Web site: Sultartangi Power Station - The National Power Company of Iceland. live. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220210115402/https://www.landsvirkjun.com/powerstations/sultartangi. 2022-02-10. 2022-02-09. www.landsvirkjun.com. en-gb.
  21. Web site: Vatnsfell Power Station - The National Power Company of Iceland. live. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220210115046/https://www.landsvirkjun.com/powerstations/vatnsfell. 2022-02-10. 2022-02-09. www.landsvirkjun.com. en-gb.
  22. Web site: Fljótsdalur Power Station - The National Power Company of Iceland. live. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220210114951/https://www.landsvirkjun.com/powerstations/fljotsdalur. 2022-02-10. 2022-02-09. www.landsvirkjun.com. en-gb.
  23. Web site: Búðarhálsstöð - The National Power Company of Iceland. live. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220210114842/https://www.landsvirkjun.com/powerstations/budarhalsstod. 2022-02-10. 2022-02-09. www.landsvirkjun.com. en-gb.
  24. Web site: Krafla Power Station - The National Power Company of Iceland. live. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220210112749/https://www.landsvirkjun.com/powerstations/krafla. 2022-02-10. 2022-02-09. www.landsvirkjun.com. en-gb.
  25. Web site: Bjarnarflag Power Station - The National Power Company of Iceland. live. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220210114600/https://www.landsvirkjun.com/powerstations/bjarnarflag. 2022-02-10. 2022-02-09. www.landsvirkjun.com. en-gb.
  26. Web site: Theistareykir Geothermal Station - The National Power Company of Iceland. live. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220210114420/https://www.landsvirkjun.com/powerstations/theistareykir. 2022-02-10. 2022-02-09. www.landsvirkjun.com. en-gb.
  27. Web site: Hafið - The National Power Company of Iceland. live. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220210114654/https://www.landsvirkjun.com/powerstations/hafid. 2022-02-10. 2022-02-09. www.landsvirkjun.com. en-gb.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Landsvirkjun".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.