Controversy Surrounds Hvalár and Miðdal Power Lines in the Westfjords
Plans for the Hvalár Line and the Miðdal Line in Iceland’s Westfjords have stirred genuine controversy as preparations edge toward a possible 2028 implementation. Landsnet, the national energy company, is leaning toward routes that cut through the heart of Vestfjörður’s untouched wilderness — and not everyone is comfortable with that.
The project calls for two high-voltage lines. Together they would strengthen transmission on the northern side of Vestfjörður and tie the new 55 MW Hvalárvirkjun power plant into the national grid.
Landsnet has finished presenting the evaluation plans for both Hvalár Line 1 and Miðdal Line 1, and both are now sitting with the Planning Agency for review. The Hvalár Line would run from Hvalárvirkjun to Landsnet’s substation at Miðdal in Ísafjörður. The Miðdal Line would carry the connection onward to Kollafjörður, closing a circular loop in the distribution system.
Aiming for the Untouched Wilderness
Landsnet’s evaluation plan identifies two preferred route alternatives, H1 and H2. Four options in total are on the table for connecting to Hvalárvirkjun; the rest were dropped because the costs were simply too high.
The trouble is that both preferred routes pass through some of Iceland’s most ecologically significant land. The Nature Conservation Agency has made clear that any environmental assessments must fit within regional planning policy for Vestfjörður. It has flagged serious concerns about impacts on the country’s largest uninhabited wilderness regions — Hornstrandir, the Drangajökull area, and the landscapes of Glámuvíde and Ófeigsfjörður.
These are not just scenic backdrops. They hold real ecological weight, and the agency argues that both residents and visitors who come specifically for undisturbed nature deserve to have that considered carefully.
The agency has also pushed back on any suggestion that lower visitor numbers make conservation less important. Landsnet says it has heard the concerns and that the full environmental assessment will look closely at what the lines would mean for these areas.
On the regulatory side, the Nature Conservancy is firm: efficiency cannot be the only measure. Rules require a proper justification for ruling out alternative routes — environmental impact and technical feasibility both matter, not just the price tag.
Similarity Among Options
The Planning Agency has noted that the options currently in play don’t differ much from one another. Every proposed route crosses uninhabited wilderness; the alternatives that would stay clear of these areas were set aside because they cost more. The agency has asked that Landsnet’s environmental report give a full account of all options, even the longer and more expensive ones.
Choosing routes that avoid the wilderness would push costs up considerably — estimates put the increase at around 50%. Landsnet has put the total bill for both lines at approximately ISK 8.7 billion, with Hvalár Line 1 alone coming in at around ISK 3.8 billion. Under the more expensive scenario, a large portion of the line would go underground, which aligns with calls for more sensitive planning.
Energy Security in the Westfjords
Power reliability in the Westfjords has become a real concern — Tálknafjörður, for one, has seen prolonged outages. Local authorities, including the Vesturbyggð council, are working with energy companies to find answers. Elías Jónatansson, the energy farm manager for Orkubús Vestfjörður, has pointed to Hvalárvirkjun as one of the more realistic ways to shore up the region’s energy security.
Local Sentiments: Support and Opposition
The Hvalár Line sits mainly within the municipality of Strandabyggð, where council members have broadly accepted Landsnet’s evaluation plan. They see energy infrastructure as a way to improve local electricity access and bring work to the area — though they insist that environmental responsibility has to come with it.
That said, dissent has come from inside the municipality too. Matthías Sævar Lýðsson, chair of the local Environment and Planning Committee, has said the proposed route poses real risks to the surrounding nature. He gave Landsnet credit for its consultation process but warned that economic interests should not be allowed to ride roughshod over environmental protections. He pointed to the government’s 2024 policy, which puts a clear premium on preserving untouched wilderness.
Some local leaders have suggested that opting for a longer route could head off legal fights down the line, given that environmental organisations are widely expected to challenge any project that encroaches on pristine land.
Vigilance Among Conservationists
Snæbjörn Guðmundsson, chairman of the nature conservation group Náttúrugriða, has said the organisation will be watching closely. No legal decisions have been made yet regarding Hvalárlína, but past appeals against construction permits in the region show that the will to act is there if conservation priorities get pushed aside.
He has called for a wider view when big projects like this are being discussed — one that accounts for the environmental costs that tend to get glossed over in economic arguments.
As the debate around the Hvalár and Miðdal lines continues, the core question stays the same: how does Iceland meet its energy needs without giving up the wild landscapes that make it what it is?
