Small Hydro Plant Evaluation in Iceland
The Association of municipalities in North-West Iceland “SSNV” set up a fund for initial evaluation of small hydropower plants. The purpose of the fund is to strengthen the first steps in research into potential power plants in the north-west of Iceland, which are less than 10 MW in size. Based on the available overview of the potential power plants, which are listed in the Mannvit's 2018 report: Preliminary evaluation of small power plant options in the North West. Additional funding options may be added with the approval of SSNV.
Mannvit’s report lists 82 potential power generation options in the area and their feasibility is assessed. The report is primarily based on available information from various sources, e.g. The National Energy Authority and the Icelandic Meteorological Office. The evaluation done on behalf of SSNV did not included field trips to potential power station sites. The report is therefore only the first step in assessing the viability of individual waterfalls. The next steps, i.e. field trips and water flow measurements, which Mannvit can perform, must be funded by individual investors.
An agreement has been made with Mannvit for an evaluation of the power plant benefits that will be strengthened, and SSNV will negotiate a contract with the company. The applicant's contribution is ISK 100,000 but SSNV pays others costs of the evaluation.
The fund provides grants in 2 steps:
Step 1: Preliminary evaluation of small power plants and the other
Step 2: Evaluation of the flow rate, initial design and construction cost.
All data regarding the application process and Mannvit's published report can be found here on the SSNV website.