Búrfell Power Station

When Landsvirkjun was established in 1965, it embarked on the construction of the Búrfell Hydropower Station, which came on-line in 1969. It took almost ten years to complete the construction and it was the largest power station in the country until the inauguration of Kárahnjúkar Hydropower Station in 2007.

The River Þjórsá is harnessed at Búrfell with a tailrace tunnel from the Bjarnarlón Reservoir to the powerhouse located in the Þjórsárdalur Valley. The River Þjórsá, which previously flowed south of Mountain Búrfell, is diverted above the mountain into Bjarnarlón Reservoir, and from there through a tunnel passing through the basalt strata of Sámstadamúli into the Þjórsdárdalur valley.

The diversion system in the riverbed of Þjórsá is equipped with a special icebarrier structure. In earlier years, the role of the ice barrier structure was to rinse aside ice and slush to prevent it from reaching the Bjarnarlón Reservoir. Today, the flow rate of the river can be better managed and with the construction of a canal between the Sultartangi and Búrfell stations the amount of ice and slush has been reduced. The need for the structure has therefore been greatly diminished.

From the powerhouse turbines, the water exits via draft tubes into a short canal before entering the River Fossá, which joins the River Þjórsá 2 km downstream. The station’s equipment was partially renewed in 1997-1999. This increased the station’s installed capacity to 270 MW, from 210 MW.

The Þjórsá and Tungnaá area is home to seven of Landsvirkjun’s hydropower stations: Búðarháls, Búrfell, Búrfell II, Hrauneyjafoss, Sigalda, Sultartangi and Vatnsfell. The area also includes Vaðalda Wind Farm, Iceland’s first wind power plant, as well as Hafið, a wind energy test site with two experimental turbines.

At the heart of the system is Þórisvatn, Iceland’s largest natural lake and the region’s main reservoir. Water collected in the Kvíslaveita diversion system and Hágöngulón flows through Þórisvatn before being used by power stations farther downstream.

The Þórisvatn reservoir system was developed between 1970 and 1972 as part of the expansion of hydropower generation in the area. Its reservoirs, dams, canals and control structures make it possible to store water, regulate flows and optimise energy production throughout the year.

Construction of the Kvíslaveita diversion system began in 1980 and was completed in 1997. The system collects water from tributaries and the upper reaches of the Þjórsá River and diverts it to Þórisvatn.

Hágöngulón was developed between 1997 and 1999 and covers an area of 37 km². It increases the utilisation of water resources in the Kaldakvísl catchment by storing water during the summer months.

Together, Þórisvatn, Kvíslaveita, Hágöngulón and a number of smaller reservoirs form the backbone of the hydropower system in the Þjórsá and Tungnaá area.