Managing director of the West Fjords Business Development Agency, Thorgeir Pálsson, is in discussions with Japanese industrial giant Mitsubishi, through the interposition of the Icelandic Embassy in Tokyo, on a potential tidal power plant in the West Fjords.
Ísafjördur fjord in the West Fjords. Photo by Páll Kjartansson.
The idea has been presented at the Icelandic Ministry of Industry, the Innovation Center Iceland, the University Center of the West Fjords and the Regional Union of the West Fjords, as stated on mbl.is.
“We are looking into the possibility of harnessing tides in the West Fjords for electricity production, for example currents that are created at the crossing of fjords such as Mjóifjördur,” Pálsson explained to Morgunbladid. “We have sparked the interest of Mitsubishi to look into it with us.”
Pálsson said that Mitsubishi is leading in the making of turbines and has participated in the construction of many power plants in Iceland and is therefore familiar with the country. Mitsubishi has now expressed interest in designing turbines for tidal power plants.
However, Pálsson stressed that this long-term project is in the absolute embryo stages.
