Landsvirkjun, Iceland’s national energy company, announced that it intends to build yet another dam, Bjallavirkjun in Tungaá. LV is currently restarting work on Búðarhálsvirkjun in Tungnaá. Bjallavirkjun would create a 30 km² reservoir inside a protected area by Veiðivötn. The dam itself is planned to built just on the edge of the protected area, west of Skaftafell National Park and Langisjór Lake and will be in the entrance of Landmannalaugar. The dam will produce 46 MW per year. LV has not said who would be the buyer.
RÚV, the national TV station spoke about the possible Bjallavirkjun Dam in it’s evening news, where they broadcasted Landsvirkjun’s greenwash by saying that the reservoir would be on of Iceland’s big lakes. Hálslón reservoir, created by the massive Kárahnjúkar Dam was said to be Iceland’s third biggest lake.
The reservoir could be used to lead water to other dams in the area planned in lower Þjórsá River and Tungnaá (Búðarhálsvirkjun) or existing dams in upper Þjórsá. Bergur Sigurðsson from Landvernd, an Icelandic environmental organization, said in an interview with RÚV that Landsvirkjun’s plans seem to be to get as much as they can out of Þjórsá. The project would put extra pressure on leading Skaftá River through Langisjór Lake into Tungnaá.
Plans about the destruction of Langisjór have been on the table for many years, but have been heavily resisted. It has not been included in the Vatnajökull Glacier National Park against the advice of conservationists.
Þórunn Sveinbjarnardóttir, the minister of environment, stated that Landsvirkjun will not get the permission to build this dam as there is no reason for yet another big reservoir in the central highlands but has in various cases been overruled by the pro-heavy industry majority in the Icelandic government.
What’s wrong with people, seems like lot of people in Iceland lack proper education or common sense. Hear a lot of people talking about how aluminum would be great for Keflavik, not realizing how polluting this industry is. Leading to birth defects and lots of other health problems.