Harnessing hydropower

There is not much shortage of water in Iceland and the possibilities of hydropower are being exploited with the country's largest ever construction project. The 690 MW Kárahnjükar hydropower plant in the north east is linked to a major aluminium smelter, harbour and related infrastructure in a US$ 1.2 billion scheme.

The hydropower plant includes approximately 72 km of tunnels with widths of 4.6 to 7.6 m. Sandvik Tamrock is supplying a range of Axera drill jumbos for blasthole drilling and rock bolting, plus Toro load-haul-dump vehicles for mucking out.