Laxá III Power Station

The Laxá III Station is the most recent power station in the river Laxá. The underground vault housing the station’s turbine unit was initially designed for two 25 MW turbines. The plans called for the construction of a 56 m high dam in the upper part of the canyon, making the total head 83 m.

The local population of Þingeyjar strongly protested the plan. The Laxá III Hydropower Station was inaugurated in 1973 with one turbine instead of two, and further plans for the region were shelved.

Laxárstöð I during wintertime

Laxá I is the oldest power station on the Laxá River, commissioned in 1939. It has not been used for electricity production since 2013, as it was taken out of operation due to the aging of the penstock, which was deemed not cost-effective to replace.

The station utilized the upper part of the fall at Brúar, just like Laxá Power Station III. Water was channeled from a dam at the top of the canyon through underground tunnels and then into a conduit leading to the powerhouse, covering a total distance of about 670 meters. The drop height was 39 meters, and the station had an installed capacity of 5 MW.

The turbine units in Laxá Power Station I

Despite being out of operation, the two turbine units remain in place and are well-maintained. The first unit was commissioned in 1939, and the second was added in 1944.