Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Plant
Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Plant (Icelandic: Kárahnjúkavirkjun [ˈkʰauːraˌn̥juːkaˌvɪr̥cʏn]), officially called Fljótsdalur Power Station (Icelandic: Fljótsdalsstöð [ˈfljoutsˌtalsˌstœːθ]) is a hydroelectric power plant in Fljótsdalshérað municipality in eastern Iceland, designed to produce 4,600 gigawatt-hours (17,000 TJ) annually for Alcoa's Fjarðaál aluminum smelter 75 kilometres (47 mi) to the east in Reyðarfjörður. With the installed capacity of 690 megawatts (930,000 hp), the plant is the largest power plant in Iceland. The project, named after the nearby Kárahnjúkar mountains, involves damming the rivers Jökulsá á Dal and Jökulsá í Fljótsdal with five dams, creating three reservoirs. Water from the reservoirs is diverted through 73 kilometres (45 mi) of underground water tunnels and down a 420-metre (1,380 ft) vertical penstock towards a single underground power station. The smelter became fully operational in 2008 and the hydropower project was completed in 2009.
| Fljótsdalur Power Station Kárahnjúkar Dam | |
|---|---|
Kárahnjúkar Dam, looking south. | |
Location of Fljótsdalur Power Station Kárahnjúkar Dam in Iceland | |
| Country | Iceland |
| Coordinates | 64°56′N 15°48′W |
| Status | Operational |
| Opening date | 2009 |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Embankment, concrete-face rock-fill dams |
| Impounds | Jökulsá á Dal Jökulsá í Fljótsdal |
| Height | 193 m (633 ft) |
| Length | 730 m (2,400 ft) |
| Dam volume | 8.5×106 m3 (300×106 cu ft) |
| Spillways | 1 |
| Spillway type | Tunnel |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Hálslón Reservoir |
| Total capacity | 2.1 km3 (1,700,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Maximum length | 25 km (16 mi) |
| Operator(s) | Landsvirkjun |
| Turbines | 6 x 115 MW (154,000 hp) Francis-type |
| Installed capacity | 690 MW |
| Annual generation | 4,600 GWh |
The Kárahnjúkar Dam (Icelandic: Kárahnjúkastífla [ˈkʰauːraˌn̥juːkaˌstipla]) is the centrepiece of the five dams and the largest of its type in Europe, standing 193 metres (633 ft) tall with a length of 730 metres (2,400 ft) and comprising 8.5 million cubic metres (300×106 cu ft) of material.
The project has been heavily criticised for its environmental impact and its use of foreign workers.