No Excuse for Harnessing More Energy

The managing director of Landvernd, the Icelandic Environment Association, Auður Önnu Magnúsdóttir, tells mbl.is that the fact that Landsvirkjun has limited the delivery of electricity to fish meal factories and large users of energy must not be used as an excuse for harnessing more energy. She believes strengthening the electricity transmission system is more important, and states that a reassessment is needed of how more electricity can be ensured in the middle of winter when the least amount of electricity is being produced.

As we reported earlier, Landsvirkjun, the National Power Company of Iceland, announced Monday that it would immediately reduce the delivery of electricity to large users whose short-term contracts allow for delivery to be limited. Those include fish meal factories, data centers and aluminum smelters. That is certain to increase the carbon footprint of Icelandic fish processing companies.

Auður explains that three things happen at once: “Production of electricity is always at a minimum in the middle of winter in Iceland; the price of aluminum is high, and the aluminum smelters want to use the energy they have in their contracts; and [then there is] the capelin fishing season. All of it happens at the same time.”

She notes it is essential to analyze the problem and possible solutions, but states it is important to avoid using this situation as an excuse for harnessing more energy. Instead, solutions need to be found to storing excess energy for the time when demand exceeds supply.