Renewable energy at forefront of new Iceland port

Rising temperatures and increasingly long frost-free periods are causing the sea ice to melt. Iceland’s response to the steadily improving shipping conditions is to construct a new port – the first newly built port in Europe where the plant and equipment will run entirely on renewable energy, according to Martin Günthner, Bremen’s Senator for Economic Affairs and Ports.

“Over the last few years, investigations have been carried out – also with the help of bremenports – to establish whether it would be possible to construct a port on the fjord that is not only efficient, but which also satisfies stringent standards in terms of environmental protection and ecological sustainability,” said Mr Günthner.

The soil conditions have been examined, meteorological stations installed and data from the meteorological records has been analysed. Findings of these initials surveys have shown that the fjord is highly suitable for such a project.

The Finna Fjord Project in the north-east of the island offers enormous opportunities – for instance as a future base for installing and equipping oil and gas platforms, or as a port where natural resources from Iceland and Greenland can be stored, processed and prepared for onward transport. Finna Fjord is also a suitable location for search and rescue vessels as well as coastguard units and as a harbour of refuge, for example for cruise liners.