Iceland commissions Vaðalda wind farm

Iceland has commissioned the Vaðalda wind farm, which Environment, Energy and Climate Minister Jóhann Páll Jóhannsson described as “a new chapter in Icelandic energy history”, mbl.is reported.

The commissioning took place during a formal ceremony in fine weather in the afternoon below Sultartangalón, in the Þjórsá and Tungnaá region.

Fourteen wind turbines have been erected this year, with another 14 expected to be built next year.

Jóhannsson told mbl.is that the wind farm would increase flexibility in Iceland’s energy system.

He said wind power development should proceed cautiously because new wind generation would require substantial investment in the transmission system. Laws passed during the last parliamentary session stipulate that wind farms should primarily be built in a few designated areas where they fit with an economically efficient expansion of the electricity transmission system and can support employment and regional development.

Asked whether the wind farm could be expanded further if considered economically viable, given the amount of space in the area, the minister said Landsvirkjun would have to answer that question.