Construction has begun on a new 4,450-meter transmission pipeline for steam from Hverahlíð to the Hellisheiði Power Plant in the Municipality of Ölfus. The objective is to utilize existing boreholes at Hverahlíð to supply additional steam and separated water for electricity generation and district heating at the Hellisheiði plant. At the same time, provisions are being made for the possibility of connecting future boreholes that will be drilled later.

ON Power Ltd. has signed an agreement with Héðinn Ltd. for this extensive project. The work includes all necessary earthworks, pipeline installation, electrical installations, and construction work, and a number of subcontractors will be involved in the project, according to Rögnvaldur Einarsson, CEO of Héðinn.

The new utility pipeline, Hverahlíð Pipeline II, will run alongside the existing separated water and steam supply pipelines from Hverahlíð to the Hellisheiði Power Plant. It will mostly be laid above ground but also within existing concrete culverts, crossing the ridge south of the highway and beneath Suðurlandsvegur. The project will primarily take place in already disturbed areas, but the total length of new access roads will be about 1.8 km. The estimated area of undisturbed land that will be affected by the project is 10,800 square meters south of Suðurlandsvegur and 5,400 square meters north of the road. Emphasis will be placed on proper finishing and restoration of disturbed areas.

Hverahlíð Pipeline II will, like the current steam supply pipeline, have a diameter of one meter and rest on concrete foundations. According to Rögnvaldur, fifteen-meter-long pipes will be used for the line, amounting to about 300 of these large pipes.

"‘Each joint is circumferentially welded on site, which means that by the end of the project our team will have welded about one kilometer in total," says Rögnvaldur.

Héðinn’s subcontractors for the project are:

Altac Artic – Pipelines
Árvirkinn – Electricity
Fossvélar – Groundworks
Ísloft – Insulation and aluminum cladding
Langeldur – Concrete structures
Héðins Hurðir – Industrial doors

Here is a link in an article in Visir about this construction (in Icelandic) um þessar framkvæmdir.