Vaðalda Wind Farm

Vaðalda Wind Farm is located within Landsvirkjun’s largest power generation area, the Þjórsá and Tungnaá region. The area is already home to seven hydropower stations, with an eighth to be added when Hvammsvirkjun enters operation.

The operation of a wind farm complements hydropower generation particularly well, as winds in Iceland are generally strongest during the winter months, when inflows to reservoirs are at their lowest. During the summer, when wind speeds are typically lower, reservoir levels are better able to support electricity generation.

Fourteen wind turbines now stand at Vaðalda Wind Farm. A further fourteen will be erected in 2027, with the entire wind farm expected to be fully operational by the end of that year.

Vaðalda Wind Farm is the first wind power project in Iceland to have completed the government's Master Plan for Nature Protection and Energy Utilisation process. Its location is particularly favourable, as much of the necessary infrastructure is already in place, including transmission lines, roads and other facilities.

The construction of the wind farm has nevertheless required extensive works. Each turbine foundation contains around 70 tonnes of steel and more than 400 cubic metres of concrete. The fourteen turbines erected so far therefore required approximately 980 tonnes of steel and 5,600 cubic metres of concrete in total. An on-site concrete batching plant was established, as otherwise nearly 700 standard concrete truck deliveries would have been required.

Concrete works for the first turbine foundation at Vaðalda Wind Farm under way.

Each wind turbine weighs approximately 582 tonnes. With one blade at its highest point, a turbine reaches a height of around 150 metres, roughly equivalent to twice the height of Hallgrímskirkja. Cables connecting the turbines to the collection substation have a combined length of 80 km. Within the project area itself, 20 km of roads were constructed and 20 km of trenches excavated.