In Iceland a summer of dissent against heavy industry and large dams has begun. Corporations plan to harness the glacial rivers and geothermal potential of Europe's largest remaining Wilderness for aluminium production. by Jaap Krater / Saving Iceland
Activists from around the world have gathered to oppose Rio Tinto and other transnational companies. Much aluminium goes directly to the war efforts of the US, Russia and others. Aluminium is the single most important bulk metal for modern
warfare, included in missiles, tanks, fighter planes, and nuclear weapons. In July Icelanders were joined by activists from Africa, South and North America and Europe for a conference on heavy industry and large dams, organized by Saving Iceland. This event looked at large dams' effect on ecosystems, climate and communities, on the role of aluminium in the arms industry and military and on the greenwash strategies of large corporations. Activists also saw remarkable similarities
in corporate strategies between their different countries and continents, on how communities and governments are manipulated and environmental impacts covered up. The next conference is
planned for Trinidad and Tobago, where communities oppose an ALCOA aluminium smelter (see Corporate Watch June- July 2007). ALCOA, Alcan/RioTinto, Norsk Hydro and Century/Rusal are all scheming for new smelters in Iceland. Century Aluminum, a part of the recently formed Russian-Swiss RUSAL/Glencore/SUAL conglomerate, want to build a second smelter in Iceland in Helguvik, with a projected capacity of at least 250.000 metric tons per annum (mtpa). The planned site is designed to
accommodate further expansion. Meanwhile the Grundartangi plant has this year been extended to 260.000 mtpa. Currently, an environmental impact assessment is under review for the
Helguvik smelter - produced by the construction consultants HRV (Honnun/Rafhonnun/VST) HRV name themselves the chief architects of the aluminium industry on their own website. It is absurd that an engineering company, with a vested interest in the smelter construction, could be considered to produce an
objective impact assessment. Their document claims that pollution is really not a problem because Helguvik is such a
windy place that the pollution will just blow away. This smelter will demand new geothermal power plants at Seltún, Sandfell, Austurengjar and Trölladyngju, in addition
to the Hengill area which has already been seriously damaged by Reykjavik Energy. The impact assessment does not take this into account, nor the impact of the power lines and pylons required. The plants will ruin the natural and scenic value of the whole peninsula. Also, the required capacity, 400 MW, exceeds the natural capacity of the geothermal spots, which will cool down in three to four decades. Century admits it wants the site to expand further in the next decades, so it is obvious that this smelter will not just ruin Reykjanes but also need additional hydropower. The impact procedure seems to be completely irrelevant anyway, since the company has completed an equity offering worth $360 million, partly to finance the construction of the Helguvik smelter project. This indicates that Century already
has high level assurances that the project is to continue.
This contradicts the claims of the new government of Iceland, and particularly it s environment minister Þórunn Sveinbjarnardóttir, that it is opposed to new smelter projects. Climate change is also a factor. Icelandic Alloys wants to expand its facility for producing ferrosilicon for the steel industry. This is already one of Iceland's largest contributors to greenhouse gases. Even if there are no further expansions of heavy industry beyond Grundartangi and
ALCOA Fjardaal, Icelan will still emit 38% more greenhouse gases than in 1990. If the other expansion plans continue,
levels would rise to an incredible 63% above 1990 levels. Century is a subsidiary of Glencore, well known for deals with apartheid South Africa, the USSR, Iran, and Saddam's Iraq. Glencore has merged with RUSAL, making the largest aluminium company in the world. As the main aluminum supplier to the Russian military, RUSAL contributes directly to the weapons used in the war in Chechnya, where at least 35.000 civilians have been killed. Glencore are also known to have recently massacred Wayuu Indians and local farmers in Colombia for mine expansion.
Reykjavik Energy are expanding their geothermal plant at Hengill in a supposedly 'green' operation, to meet industry's
demands for energy. Therefore this geothermal plant must serve other expansions - Century's Grundartangi and the possible
new ALCAN and Century plants at Straumsvik and Helguvik. Although the current Icelandic government claims to oppose more smelters, Hellisheidi is still being expanded at a cost of 379.06 million taxpayers' dollars. Once the expansion is
completed, this will force Iceland into more smelters because the electricity needs to be sold to get investments back. In the mean time, farmers pay twice as much for electricity as Century does. The expansion of the Hellesheidi power plant in Hengill is itself not as green as Reykjavik Energy suggests. Hot and toxic waste water is either disposed of by pumping it back into the borehole, increasing the frequency of earthquakes,
or it is pumped untreated into streams and lakes, wiping out valuable ecosystems as treatment is considered too expensive.
The Northern end of lake Thingvallavatn is already biologically dead in parts due to wastewater pumping. Tourism will also be negatively affected. Extraction of underground
fluids leads to changes in groundwater movements, commonly including drying of unique hot springs and geysers and the pollution of pure subsurface spring water. Four endangered bird species are affected: the falcon, greylag goose, harlequin duck and raven. But some people are fighting back. A Saving Iceland activist states: 'We will not stop until the corporate invasion of the
Icelandic wilderness has ceased. The world is not dying, it is being murdered. And those who are doing it need to be held accountable.' www.savingiceland.org
warfare, included in missiles, tanks, fighter planes, and nuclear weapons. In July Icelanders were joined by activists from Africa, South and North America and Europe for a conference on heavy industry and large dams, organized by Saving Iceland. This event looked at large dams' effect on ecosystems, climate and communities, on the role of aluminium in the arms industry and military and on the greenwash strategies of large corporations. Activists also saw remarkable similarities
in corporate strategies between their different countries and continents, on how communities and governments are manipulated and environmental impacts covered up. The next conference is
planned for Trinidad and Tobago, where communities oppose an ALCOA aluminium smelter (see Corporate Watch June- July 2007). ALCOA, Alcan/RioTinto, Norsk Hydro and Century/Rusal are all scheming for new smelters in Iceland. Century Aluminum, a part of the recently formed Russian-Swiss RUSAL/Glencore/SUAL conglomerate, want to build a second smelter in Iceland in Helguvik, with a projected capacity of at least 250.000 metric tons per annum (mtpa). The planned site is designed to
accommodate further expansion. Meanwhile the Grundartangi plant has this year been extended to 260.000 mtpa. Currently, an environmental impact assessment is under review for the
Helguvik smelter - produced by the construction consultants HRV (Honnun/Rafhonnun/VST) HRV name themselves the chief architects of the aluminium industry on their own website. It is absurd that an engineering company, with a vested interest in the smelter construction, could be considered to produce an
objective impact assessment. Their document claims that pollution is really not a problem because Helguvik is such a
windy place that the pollution will just blow away. This smelter will demand new geothermal power plants at Seltún, Sandfell, Austurengjar and Trölladyngju, in addition
to the Hengill area which has already been seriously damaged by Reykjavik Energy. The impact assessment does not take this into account, nor the impact of the power lines and pylons required. The plants will ruin the natural and scenic value of the whole peninsula. Also, the required capacity, 400 MW, exceeds the natural capacity of the geothermal spots, which will cool down in three to four decades. Century admits it wants the site to expand further in the next decades, so it is obvious that this smelter will not just ruin Reykjanes but also need additional hydropower. The impact procedure seems to be completely irrelevant anyway, since the company has completed an equity offering worth $360 million, partly to finance the construction of the Helguvik smelter project. This indicates that Century already
has high level assurances that the project is to continue.
This contradicts the claims of the new government of Iceland, and particularly it s environment minister Þórunn Sveinbjarnardóttir, that it is opposed to new smelter projects. Climate change is also a factor. Icelandic Alloys wants to expand its facility for producing ferrosilicon for the steel industry. This is already one of Iceland's largest contributors to greenhouse gases. Even if there are no further expansions of heavy industry beyond Grundartangi and
ALCOA Fjardaal, Icelan will still emit 38% more greenhouse gases than in 1990. If the other expansion plans continue,
levels would rise to an incredible 63% above 1990 levels. Century is a subsidiary of Glencore, well known for deals with apartheid South Africa, the USSR, Iran, and Saddam's Iraq. Glencore has merged with RUSAL, making the largest aluminium company in the world. As the main aluminum supplier to the Russian military, RUSAL contributes directly to the weapons used in the war in Chechnya, where at least 35.000 civilians have been killed. Glencore are also known to have recently massacred Wayuu Indians and local farmers in Colombia for mine expansion.
Reykjavik Energy are expanding their geothermal plant at Hengill in a supposedly 'green' operation, to meet industry's
demands for energy. Therefore this geothermal plant must serve other expansions - Century's Grundartangi and the possible
new ALCAN and Century plants at Straumsvik and Helguvik. Although the current Icelandic government claims to oppose more smelters, Hellisheidi is still being expanded at a cost of 379.06 million taxpayers' dollars. Once the expansion is
completed, this will force Iceland into more smelters because the electricity needs to be sold to get investments back. In the mean time, farmers pay twice as much for electricity as Century does. The expansion of the Hellesheidi power plant in Hengill is itself not as green as Reykjavik Energy suggests. Hot and toxic waste water is either disposed of by pumping it back into the borehole, increasing the frequency of earthquakes,
or it is pumped untreated into streams and lakes, wiping out valuable ecosystems as treatment is considered too expensive.
The Northern end of lake Thingvallavatn is already biologically dead in parts due to wastewater pumping. Tourism will also be negatively affected. Extraction of underground
fluids leads to changes in groundwater movements, commonly including drying of unique hot springs and geysers and the pollution of pure subsurface spring water. Four endangered bird species are affected: the falcon, greylag goose, harlequin duck and raven. But some people are fighting back. A Saving Iceland activist states: 'We will not stop until the corporate invasion of the
Icelandic wilderness has ceased. The world is not dying, it is being murdered. And those who are doing it need to be held accountable.' www.savingiceland.org