CEO of electrical contracting company Raf in Akureyri, inventor Árni Bergmann Pétursson, received the 2009 Environment Award from the Federation of Icelandic Fishing Vessel Owners (LÍU) last week for his electricity distortion filter.
From left to right: Moderator Ólafur Eggertsson, Minister of Fisheries Jón Bjarnason, award-winner Pétursson and LÍÚ chair Adolf Gudmundsson. Courtesy of LÍÚ.
Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture Jón Bjarnason presented Pétursson with the award during LÍÚ’s general meeting on Thursday.
The electricity distortion filter has not only diminished disturbances in the electric systems of fishing vessels but also led to up to ten percent less oil usage and consequently lower exhaust rates.
This was confirmed by the crew of the vessels of Thorbjörn hf. in Grindavík, which tested the equipment, among other companies, a LÍÚ press release states.
Pétursson was granted a loan from the Loan Fund of Industries to launch his project and has since been supported by the New Business Venture Fund, which replaced the Loan Fund of Industries.
Developing the project took longer than he expected because it proved a “complicated math puzzle,” as the inventor described it.
“While solving it I was aided by the great employees of Rafhönnun, especially the engineers Jón Már Halldórsson and Kristján Valur Jónsson,” he added.
LÍÚ’s Environment Award was granted for the 11th time last week.
