Saving Iceland

Aluminium production in Reydarfjördur
begins… using energy from the national
domestic grid!

24 April 2007

As Saving Iceland and others pointed out a long time ago Landsvirkjun have proven not to be able to deliver energy to ALCOA on 1 April 2007, as specified in their contract with the multinational.
This is highly embarrassing for the Icelandic government and Landsvirkjun, especially as the general elections are coming and the contract they signed with ALCOA specifies that if the energy will not be available on time the Icelandic taxpayer will have to pay penalties to ALCOA.

Apparently the government have begged ALCOA not to mention any penalty payments before the general elections on 12 May. Some weeks ago we had the questionable pleasure to listen to denials in the press that these penalties were ever written into the contract! Yet again, this shows the level of lying that ALCOA and the Icelandic government are ready to stoop to.

Obviously, it is in the interest of ALCOA that the corrupt government which gave them the wilderness of Kárahnjúkar for free, will stay in power.

Aluminium was tapped from the first pot in the new aluminum smelter last weekend. The production process began mid-April.

However, there was a low key ceremony 1 April where the Icelandic PM and other dignitaries cut the red ribbon in the factory (above). But clearly the aluminium lobby felt that making too much of the occasion might backfire PR wise in view of the embarrassing fact that the energy was not coming from Kárahnjúkar, not to speak of the defeat ALCAN experienced in the Hafnarfjordur referendum the night before!

According to mbl.is, 40 pots are expected to be put into operation during this first stage and the smelter will be running 336 pots, its full capacity amount, by the end of the year when the construction of the smelter has been completed.

The smelter in Reydarfjördur has the potential to produce 356,000 tons of aluminum per year. The smelter currently uses 100 megawatts of electricity from the national electricity system, but will need 590 megawatts from the dams in Kárahnjúkar once electricity production begins there… later this year… That is; when Landsvirkjun and Impregilo have scrambled through the last tunnels at what ever the economical and human cost.

Until then, the smelter will not be fully operational and the Icelandic taxpayer will have to foot the bill when ALCOA needs more energy to stay on production schedule (after the elections one can presume!)

For the time being ALCOA hold their breath…

But what about when it comes to the final billing from the “most litigous company in history” Impregilo?

How much is it going to cost the Icelandic taxpayer when Impregilo have worked out all the delays caused by the deliberately highly inaccurate calculations from Landsvirkjun?

To quote our own SOS: “The Kárahnjúkar project stands as a typical blueprint for international multi-billion-dollar megaprojects where promoters self-servingly misinform parliaments, the public and the media in order to get projects approved and built. The formula for approval is a cocktail of underestimated costs, overestimated revenues, undervalued environmental impacts and overvalued economic development effects.”

If we were not talking about Western Europe’s banana republic, then Icelandic politicians and technocrats who are responsible for this disastrous mess, would be made to answer for their actions in court… But of course, as every one in Iceland knows, they have already rigged the courts with their own family members and party lackeys!

Iceland Review
03/29/2007 | 11:47

Turning point at Reydarfjördur

The first shipment of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) arrived in Reydarfjördur, in Iceland’s Eastfjords, yesterday. The new Alcoa Fjardarál smelter in Reydarfjördur is expected to begin operating around Easter.

The transport vessel Pine Arrow anchored at the pier in Reydarfjördur carrying 39,000 tons of aluminum oxide, the primary raw material used for producing aluminum, Fréttabladid reports.

Almost two tons of aluminum oxide are needed for producing one ton of aluminum, so about 20,000 tons of aluminum can be produced out of the aluminum oxide that arrived in Reydarfjördur yesterday.

According to the information officer of Alcoa Fjardarál Erna Indridadóttir, the smelter’s management plans to take its first aluminum pot into usage after one or two weeks.

Once all pots in the smelter are operating, about 20 transport vessels will arrive in Reydarfjördur every year.

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According to the agreement, Sudurnes Energy Company will provide the Nordurál smelter in Helguvík with electricity; it will provide 150 megawatts for the first production stage, which could be used for producing 150,000 tons of aluminum. Continue Reading »

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UPDATE
24 April 2007

Around 180 subterranean workers have become ill from pollution at Karahnjukar and work in 14 km of the tunnels has been stopped by the Icelandic Health and Safety authorities.

High time that the Health and Safety finally did the work they are paid for!

Already in 2005 persistent reports started emerging from Icelandic workers that workers were being forced back into the tunnels by Impregilo way too soon after explosives had been used in them. This breaks all safety regulations.

Apparently Icelandic workers usually refused to go back in until it was relatively safe, but foreign workers had no choice and somtimes had to be carried unconcious back out of the tunnels because of the poisonous air.

Health and safety are now trying to hide behind a ‘lack of legislation in Iceland for this sort of tunnel work’.

The reluctance of the Icelandic unions and health and safety authorities to protect foreign workers at Karahnjukar suggests that there is something seriously rotten in more than one place in Icelandic society.

It seems appropriate now that there be more coverage in Icelandic media about the payments which Impregilo offered in 2003 to deposit in Icelandic union funds!

Exactly which unions received these payments from Impregilo?

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Iceland Review
04/23/2007

Forty workers at Kárahnjúkar dam in Iceland’s eastern highlands suffered from diarrhea and vomiting on Friday after having consumed food and drink from open containers inside the tunnels where they were working.

According to Helga Hreinsdóttir, the managing director of East Iceland’s Public Heath Authority, there is a lack of cleanliness in the tunnels, Fréttabladid reports.

Hreinsdóttir explained the workers cannot wash their hands before they eat and that they serve themselves onto paper plates from open containers.

Hreinsdóttir said she had requested improvements, including that the food be delivered to the workers in the tunnels in pre-packaged portions.

A Portuguese worker who returned home from Kárahnjúkar yesterday told Fréttabladid about his experience inside the tunnels.

He said the workers had been deep underground for 12 hours on Thursday without food and drink. He also said they had licked the tunnel’s walls for water.

When food and drink arrived the workers dipped their cups into an open container of apple juice, but could not wash their hands first, the Portuguese worker explained.

Thorvaldur P. Hjardar, assistant district director of East Iceland’s Work Supervision Authority, told Fréttabladid he would visit Kárahnjúkar dam today to investigate the working conditions.

Hjardar said there is no problem with the workers being underground for more than ten hours as long as they have proper eating and lavatory facilities and can wash their hands.

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By Sarah Edmonds
Mon Apr 23, 2007

REYDARFJORDAR, Iceland (Reuters) - Iceland’s biggest and newest aluminium smelter, Alcoa Fjardaal, pumped out its first hot metal at the weekend, riling critics who fear it will damage the environment.

The balance between environmental and economic tradeoffs for Iceland’s three existing and three planned smelters have become a major issue in the lead-up to May 12 elections.

On one side are those who fear unchecked industrial growth will harm the land and economy.

On the other are those who say Iceland must bring in such projects to make use of its abundant but unexportable power-generating resources, such as its geothermal and hydroelectric potential.

The issue has given rise to a new green party, the Iceland Movement, whose platform has a single plank: big industry development must stop for five years until the effects of projects like Alcoa’s Fjardaal are clear.

Author Andri Snaer Magnason said the construction of smelters like Alcoa’s, and the geothermal and hydroelectric plants that power them, has created a “heroin economy.” Continue Reading »

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As if the situation in Iceland was not ‘heavy’ enough these days, a profiteering ambassador (Olafur Egilsson) has come forth with plans to endanger the environment of the Icelandic Westfjords with a giant oil refinery. Not only is this incongruous in view of the recent announcement by the local authorities in the Westfjords that the area is to stay clean of all heavy industry but also because the perpetrators of this project are trying to sell it as “green” “high tech” industry, cunningly trying to avoid the ugly name heavy industry has with the majority of Icelanders.

There is nothing new about this sort of attempts of greenwash by the enemies of Icelandic nature, but this time INCA has exposed their lies.

In a statement released by INCA (Icelandic Nature Conservation Association) they have pointed out the inaccuracies in Egilsson’s and the Mayor of Isafjordur Halldorsson’s arguments in favor of the oil refinery. Egilsson, trying to sell his personally lucrative heavy liquid idea to the nation on a TV show, said that the pollution from oil refineries was only 1/100 compared with that from aluminium smelting and Halldorsson said that it was only 1/10 of the pollution from smelters.

Continue Reading »

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17 April, 2007

A strange seal was spotted on the shore by Straumur near the ALCAN aluminium smelter. Its front flippers were deformed, so they looked more like dog feet.

“I have turned sixty and I thought I knew a thing or two about animals, but I never knew seals could have feet,” eyewitness Gunnar Örn Gudmundsson told Fréttabladid.

“I could hardly believe it when I took its picture. They looked like feet on a Labrador dog” Gudmundsson said, adding he believed the seal had been very tired and was resting on the shore.

“I was only about one meter away when it started hissing at me, it was probably completely exhausted,” Gudmundsson explained.

Is it surprising that the poor animal would be feeling a lot less than well and normal after having to swim in the polluted waters of a 240.000 tonnes aluminium smelter?

Continue Reading »

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University lecturer and anti-smelter activist Dr. Wayne Kublalsingh
was forcibly removed from the head office of the Environmental
Management Authority this evening (Thursday April 19) . Continue Reading »

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Also known as ‘Illvirkjun’ (Evil Energy)

16 April, 2007

The conservative Independence Party concluded after the party’s general meeting last week that it would like to evaluate the advantages that would come from privatizing the national energy companies.

Not that the Independence Party is exactly known for its concern about equality in Icelandic society but it did conclude that it could be advantageous to shift the ownership of the energy companies from the state to private parties, especially considering competition and equality.

Furthermore, the Independence Party believes Icelandic specialized knowledge and ingenuity will bloom once the energy companies are privatized and enter foreign markets… ehhh… or foreign companies enter them…

This is nothing new. When the conservatives took over Reykjavik Council last year they hurriedly sold the 45% that Reykjavik owned in the National Power Company to the State. This was clearly done in order to prepare the privatization of Landsvirkjun. All in keeping with their policy of robbing the ever sleepy nation of its assets and give them to their rich friends.

But which rich friends of the Independence Party would benefit from dominating the energy industry in Iceland?

Why does the Independence Party still refuse to be transparent about who pays into their party funds?

When are the Icelandic people going to wake up and do something about that they live in a banana republic?

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In the build up to the 2007 parliamentary elections, The Reykjavík Grapevine asked representitives from each of the political parties to answer questions regarding the most pressing issue; Heavy Industry.

Issue 4, 13 April, 2007
Continue Reading »

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Latest version of the new Saving Iceland map and flier.
Printable and translated versions coming soon…

version 1.41b

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April 2007

According to a new Gallup poll 58% of the Icelandic nation want at least a five year stop to more heavy industry projects. People were asked if they wanted a five year “pause” in heavy industry projects. Just under 33% wanted no pause.

30% said they were strong supporters of a pause and 28% said they were quite in favour of a pause in any more heavy industry projects. Over 9% said they were neither for or against a pause. Under 19% said they were quite against such a pause and over 14% said the very much against such a pause. About 66% of women which answered said they supported a heavy industry pause for five years. Under 23% of women said they were against such a pause and 11% did not have an opinion.

Over 49% of males said they were in favour of a halt in heavy industry projects. 7% said they were neither for or against a pause and under 44% said they were against a pause in heavy inustry in the country.

A great majority of Left Green voters said they wanted a pause for the next five years, or 89%. 10% said they were against a pause and 1% had no opinion.

Over 74 Percent of the Social Democratic Alliance voters said they favour a pause in heavy industry, over 16% are against and 10% had no opinion.

Under 36% of Progresive Party voters said they favoured a pause but 44% would not favour it. 20% had no opinion. Over 38% of Independence Party voters said they favoured a halt to heavy industry for five years but under 52% want no pause. 10% of conservatives had no opinion.

Over 70% of those who vote other parties than the four above said they want a pause in heavy industry, 22% are against a pause and under 8% had no opinion.

Gallup telephoned 1230 people betwen the ages of 18 to 75 years old from 28 March - 2 April.

According to another new opinion poll from the polling organization Gallup Iceland, 61 percent of participants want further ideas about heavy industry to be voted on in a national election.

Two thirds of female participants would like a national election on heavy industry projects, but only half of male participants agreed to the idea, as ruv.is reports.

Seven to eight of every ten voters ages 18 to 35 would like to vote on further projects in heavy industry, but only five to six of every ten voters ages 35 to 75 believe the matter should be voted on.

Those who support the government are rather inclined to not wanting a national election, while those who support the opposition parties rather support the idea of a national election on heavy industry projects.

The poll was undertaken via telephone between 3-9 April. 940 individuals from all over the country between ages 18 and 75 were approached and 62 percent participated in the poll.

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From Iceland Review
04/11/2007

The Confederation of Icelandic Employers (SA) presented the results of a new study yesterday.

According to Fréttabladid, the Institute for Academic Evaluation (Námsmatsstofnun) conducted the study for SA. In 2000, 2003 and 2006, 15-year-olds in Iceland were asked what kind of a job they expected to have at 30.

Interest in becoming specialists has increased steadily. Most participants in 2006, 58 percent, want to become professionals of some kind. Currently, only 14 percent of Icelanders work as professionals.

Only one percent of participants want to be office workers or manual laborers, none want to operate heavy machinery, two percent want to become farmers or fishermen, ten percent want to become craftsmen and 11 percent want to work in the service industry.

The teengers did not seem impressed by growth in heavy industry or increased smelter construction either. Only a handful is interested in working on construction sites or in factories.

Ragnar F. Ólafsson from the Institute for Academic Evaluation said he is not surprised or worried by the results. “I feel the results coincide with the emphasis on university education in society.”

“I believe we can be optimistic about the future. The girls delivered especially good results. In 2000, 22 percent of them wanted to work in service, but now they want to become professionals like dentists or doctors,” Ólafsson said.

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See also: Alaska rattled by melting ice
 http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg18…

Melting ice cap triggering earthquakes http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/20…

Iceland Review
04/10/2007

Oddur Sigurdsson, an Icelandic geologist who has undertaken studies of Iceland’s glaciers, said the nation’s glaciers are melting at record speed and may disappear completely after 200 years due to global warming.

“It is obvious judging by the data that we have that it is first and foremost caused by the heat in summer, which has increased considerably, especially in the last ten years,” Sigurdsson told RÚV.

Sigurdsson said he believed global warming is the gravest problem the human race has ever faced.

French geologist Jean-Marc Bouvier, who has undertaken studies of the Greenland ice cap, explained to RÚV that once the Arctic glaciers have disappeared the ocean surface will be nine meters higher than today and flood an area which is currently inhabited by one billion people.

Bouvier described this situation as a “meteorological time bomb” and said “the wick has already been lit.”

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How was it that the saying goes… “Can’t see the forest for the trees”?
And exactly what sort of tree species would we be looking at… the manicured, sterile, non-indigenous corporate greenwash type? Maybe the time has come for a new botanical category? Perhaps a little research into ALCOA’s track record in forestry would be the place to start: http://www.wafa.org.au/articles/alcoa/in…
Continue Reading »

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Iceland Review
04/07/2007

Geologists suggested on March 24 that a volcano park should be established on Reykjanes peninsula in southwest Iceland, which has the potential to become a major tourist attraction.

According to geologist Ásta Thorleifsdóttir, a volcano park on Reykjanes could be larger and have more variety than a similar volcano park in Hawaii, which attracts 3.3 million tourists every year, making USD billions in profits.

“We have much better access on Reykjanes. […] We have the international airport beside it and all these villages that can offer accommodation, entertainment, information, guidance, scientific knowledge and everything else that comes with it,” Thorleifsdóttir told RÚV.

Thorleifsdóttir has researched the volcano park in Hawaii, which is the largest of its kind and is considered the most noteworthy volcano park in the world.

Thorleifsdóttir said the geology of Reykjanes peninsula is unique. There is a lot of volcanic activity with numerous shield volcanoes, volcanic fissures, craters and hot springs.

“There are few places on earth like it. Only us who live close by don’t realize that if we want to show foreign tourists something unique we don’t have to go further than to Kleifarvatn and Krísuvík,” Thorleifsdóttir said.

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Iceland Review
04/04/2007

Cisco may establish a server farm in Iceland

Representatives from Reykjavík Energy Company (OR) and the US network company Cisco have decided to investigate the possibility of establishing a server farm in Iceland run by environmentally friendly energy.

That was the conclusion of a recent meeting between the CEO of OR, Gudlaugur Thór Thórdarsson, and the representatives of Cisco in California. Morgunbladid reports.

“Cisco has ambitious goals on environmental issues. The company’s server farms in the UK are driven by environmentally friendly energy sources by 100 percent. That proportion is 20 percent by the company’s server farms in the US,” Thórdarson said.

“The company participates in projects through which it is obligated to set the goal higher on these issues,” Thórdarson explained.

Thórdarson said the meeting had been held to introduce to the representatives of Cisco what OR had to offer and to investigate whether the two companies could cooperate.

Cisco pointed out that distances could be a problem, but Thórdarson believed that challenge could be solved.

Thórdarson explained that running a server farm required a lot of energy, so a prerequisite for cooperation would be OR providing enough renewable energy for a reasonable price.

According to Thórdarsson, geothermal power and hydroelectric power is more reliable than solar energy and wind energy. But harnessing hydroelectric power could be problematic, Thórdarson said.

Iceland is a world leader in harnessing geothermal power, Thórdarson stated. “Our current position is very good and it is important for us to exploit the opportunities in this field.”

03/29/2007

Microsoft server farm in Iceland?

Microsoft in Iceland has received a written inquiry from Microsoft CEO Bill Gates to investigate the possibility of opening a server farm in Iceland, which running requires considerable amounts of energy.

“Discussions are going on and we have put a lot of work into this. We have received good response and nothing has worked against us so far,” the managing director of Microsoft in Iceland, Halldór Jörgensson, told Fréttabladid.

Jörgensson will probably present the progress of his investigation at a meeting at Microsoft’s headquarters next week. Representatives of Microsoft plan to come to Iceland in May and a decision will not be made until then.

Jörgenssen explained that it requires a lot of energy to run a server farm and since there is more energy in Iceland than in many other countries, it could prove to be a good location. However, Jörgenssen said he had not discussed prices with local energy companies.

The idea of a server farm in Iceland was first discussed between the President of Iceland Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson and Bill Gates at a conference in Scotland in January.

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01/04/2007

The residents of Hafnarfjörður voted yesterday in a referendum over whether their Alcan aluminium smelter should be more than doubled in size, to make it Iceland’s largest aluminium smelter. Continue Reading »

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