The carbon free nation http://www.nordicenergysolutions.org/inspirational/the-carbon-free-nation

The carbon free nation

Nearly all of Iceland's electricity comes from geothermal and hydro, and 90 % of homes and workplaces are heated with geothermal hot water. Still, the ultimate challenge remains: turning the entire island into a carbon-free society.
Full speed ahead. Iceland aims at switching their entire car fleet from combustible to electric power. Here is Iceland's first Tesla, a small, but very cool step towards achieving their goal. (Photo: drivingsustainability.org)

Full speed ahead. Iceland aims at switching their entire car fleet from combustible to electric power. Here is Iceland's first Tesla, a small, but very cool step towards achieving their goal. (Photo: drivingsustainability.org)

Huge savings

To become a carbon-free society Iceland has to switch their car fleet from combustible fuel to electric power, and to find a sustainable way to power their fishing vessels. Doing this is not only good for the environment, it is also sound from a economic perspective. During a speech in Reykjavik, September 2009, Iceland’s president Olafur Ragnar Grimsson said that because of Iceland’s supply of cheap electricity, the annual costs of an electric car would be 10 – 20 % of that of a petrol powered car. He also pointed out that a non-carbon car park is not necessarily something that belong to a distant future:

- The power utility Rekjavik Energy envisages that perhaps a half of the cars in the capital could be powered by non-fossil fuels by the end of 2013, he said.

The annual savings from completely eliminating imported fuel from the Icelandic car fleet alone is estimated to exceed 12 billion Icelandic kronas. Finding new ways to power Iceland’s fishing boats could yield even bigger benefits for the island in the Arctic. At the moment Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is cooperating with the Icelandic government on a feasibility study for the production of DME or di-methyl ester. The hope is that this new fuel eventually could power Iceland's fishing fleet. Today's fishing vessels consume large amounts of fossil fuel; Iceland imports roughly one kilogram of oil for every two kilogram of caught fish!
Prius

At Hertz Reykjavik you can rent a Prius running on hydrogen. Here it is in its natural environment. (Photo: INE)


Free electricity

Work has already started on looking into Iceland’s possible future as a carbon-free society. Reykjavik Energy is offering free electricity at charge-spots in Reykjavik to encourage the proliferation of electric cars, while the city of Reykjavik is sponsoring research into the critical parameters involved in replacing large parts of the city car fleet with electric cars. Factors such as environmental impact, the load on the electric infrastructure and economic consequences for consumers, businesses and the national economy are studied. And they are of course looking into how electric cars perform in the “sometimes tough climate of Iceland”.
Hydrogen

Hydrogen is another part of the solution for a carbon free Iceland. Hydrogen can be a renewable energy carrier when it is made from water. In 1999 Icelandic New Energy (INE) was founded to promote hydrogen as a fuel in the transportation sector in Iceland. The owners of INE are investment funds, academic and research institutions, private enterprises, Iceland’s largest energy companies, and the country’s Government. Three international companies are also involved: Daimler, StatoilHydro and Shell Hydrogen. From March 2001 to autumn 2005 INE managed the Ecological City Transport System, a fuel cell and hydrogen transportation system for public transportation in Reykjavik. Plans for the future include the application of hydrogen as a fuel for passenger cars, as well as for Iceland’s fishing fleet.
Elding

Hear the whales move.The whale watching boat Elding runs on hydrogen when it encounters whales. (Photo: INE)
The future?

If you visit Reykjavik today, you can get a glimpse of Iceland’s hydrogen future. As a part of INE’s Smart H2-project you can rent a hydrogen car at Hertz, which you can fill up at what was at the time the world’s first hydrogen station. Should you wish to go on a whale-safari, you can drive down to the quay and embark the vessel Elding, which has a hydrogen powered auxilliary engine. The auxilliary engine allows the Elding to shut down the noisy diesel engine when they spot whales, making it possible for the passengers to hear the natural sounds of the whales swimming and blowing water.