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Port of Call |
LAST UPDATE August 6, 2008
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| site design imagesparkle.com |
| July 3, 2008 |
Reykjavik, Iceland – The Power of Water |
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| The breathtaking beauty of the North Atlantic coastline is like sailing through dreamland |
After sailing through the majestic Norwegian Fjords, Peace Boat arrived in the world's northernmost capital to spend the day in Iceland, a land vibrating with creativity, trolls and hidden people. |
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Iceland is geographically the youngest country in Europe, formed by underwater volcanic eruptions along the joint North American and Eurasian plates 17 to 20 million years ago. Photo by Stacy Hughes |
Iceland is a destination little known to even the most ardent globe trotter, yet famous for its internationally acclaimed achievements in natural energy, music and art. With cool fashion and trendy cafes, the Northern lights are magical and the thermal hotspots are divine. There is a strong commitment to preserving the Viking identity, yet also breaking the mould with a blend of innovation and social consciousness. |
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| The volcanoes on Iceland are active, with eruptions every 2000 years creating a landscape of layered lava fields |
Iceland is now one of Europe’s most developed countries with extremely high literacy levels and a consistently high standard of living. The capital, Reykjavik - meaning ‘smoky bay’ - was named after the steam rising from the region's geothermal vents. The city boomed during WWII when it serviced British and US troops stationed at Keflavik, and has been on an increasing high since. |
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| Hydropower plants need dams to collect the water to be used for energy production |
The island’s unique position on a simmering fault line brings it plenty of low-cost energy and hot water, and its use of geothermal and hydroelectric power is one of the most creative in the world. Hydropower plants are used to create around 75 % of the island's electricity, while the remaining 25 % of energy is geothermal.
It is envisioned that hydrogen and other alternative fuels can replace fossil fuels in transport and fishing fleets in the future, and pilot projects have been launched to encourage this development.
In order to further understand Icelandic energy projects, a group of passengers attended an energy education tour in Reykjavik. |
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| The water that is fed through this generator gives power to the internal copper and magnets that create electricity. |
The first stop was a small-scale hydropower plant. Built in 1921, it is only used in winter, as during summer there is not much water in the rivers, less energy is needed because of the long daylight hours, and during the summer months the river is home to salmon.
The building housed four small power generators totalling 3.5 megawatts of energy - the bigger power plants are 100 times larger. Though the generators were not in operation on the day, participants were able to see the engineering that created the electric field. |
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| The steam generated from the geothermal power plant could be seen from miles away |
The second learning point was the Reykjanes Power Plant, which started operating in 2004 after many years of preparation and exploration of the geothermal field. The power plant is connected to the national grid and produces 150 MW of power for the municipality. It also supplies hot water to homes and the Blue Lagoon.
Here, participants learnt how energy is also created from the heat in the ground. When the Vikings first reached Reykjavik, they used the hot water to bathe and wash their clothing. They would also bury bread in the ground, so that it may be baked by the heat from within. It was only later that they learnt to use this heat to warm houses. |
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| At the power plant, two 50MW geothermal steam turbines from Japan have been in operation since 2006 |
In the 1940s, the government established the State Electricity Authority in order to increase Iceland's knowledge of geothermal resources and utilization of geothermal power. Geothermal power is now so economically viable that it heats almost 90% of the houses in Iceland.
As energy and hot water are so cheap, Icelanders turn up the heat in the winter, but also open all the windows to let in fresh air. Participants were told in jest that youth who travel overseas take this habit with them, resulting in them returning home to Iceland broke after spending all their money on heating bills! |
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The mineral-rich Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa located near Reykjavík and set within the natural beautify of the lava fields, is very therapeutic for skin diseases |
There is also a flip side to Iceland’s abundance of so-called ‘green energy’. The global push to reduce global warming has meant that the country attracts multinationals in search of cheap energy. The Icelandic government’s enthusiasm for such development has created much fury among local energy campaigners, as its current plans for increased energy production would require harnessing of all of Iceland’s glacial rivers. While the campaigners are foreseeing environmental catastrophe, the politicians and heavy industry promise untold riches and jobs for all. |
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| The Minister for the Environment delivered a heartfelt plea to work together to save the world for future generations. |
The day ended with a ‘Peace and Green’ cultural event at the port, with over one hundred locals attending. Performers included Icelandic musicians, Japanese Article 9 dancers (link to here: www.article-9.org/en/activities/dance.html) and Okinawan musicians. The Minister for the Environment spoke of Iceland’s challenge in ensuring the right balance between harnessing natural energy and preserving the environment. She also acknowledged the large emissions of greenhouse gases, and the urgent need to address such issues to prevent further global warming. The Mayor of Reykjavik was also present to welcome the Peace Boat to Iceland.
The journey to Iceland is a Peace Boat dream which started many years ago, and was a key attraction of the 62nd Voyage. The success of the day’s events, as well as the captivating beauty of the enchanting land, set the foundations for many more expeditions of exchange and learning for Peace Boat in Iceland.
“One of the most important and effective tools we have in this mission, is to spread information about the state of the earth and how we can preserve it. This is why the Peace Boat and people who travel with the Peace Boat have such an important role. A vast role in disseminating information through education, discussions and meeting people wherever you go.” – Ms. Þórunn Sveinbjarnardóttir, Minister for the Environment. |
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