| Abstract |
This session examines new approach towards landscape and visual assessments used in early project planning in geothermal power projects. The National Power Company of Iceland, Landsvirkjun, seeks to be in the forefront regarding environmental performance and one of the environmental targets aims to operate in harmony with nature and the landscape. The Environmental policy has highlighted landscape and visual impact as one of the major component in environmental attributes of a renewable power projects. Landsvirkjun has put forward a new policy on landscape and design of an energy projects. The new policy states two kinds of working process to be carried out in the preliminary project phases; Pre-feasibility study & reconnaissance phase and the Feasibility study & Pre-design phase. It describes methods used for Landscape Inventory, landscape assessment and results. It will describe the landscape in the Highlands of Iceland, major elements, challenges, constraints and opportunities. It discusses method to evaluate the landscape and visual impact and how potential developments may affect it. The panellist will discuss how landscape assessment can be used to enhance landscape design concepts in project planning of a geothermal power station. It talks about landscape character, compatibility, sensitivity of landscape and recommendation for next steps in project layout and design. The panellist will be using one case study: the geothermal plant at Hagongur, which is a future geothermal power project. The prospective project Hagonguvirkjun is the first power project that is developed in early phases according to the new policy pertaining landscape. It is an example of how a landscape assessment can be used to enhance landscape-led design of a power station and how it can be taken a step further than in traditional design |