Student field trip to a local hydropower plant

Today, students in the course “Ethics of Conservation and Resource Use” went on a fieldtrip to visit a local hydropower plant in Engidalur. They were greeted by Elena Dís Víðsdóttir, the energy specialist at OV, the Westfjords Power Company. She showed them the old and new hydropower stations and held a lecture for the students about hydro and geothermal energy developments in the Westfjords. She also shared the newest developments in geothermal test drilling and research, and what it could mean for the area now that, after many years of drilling, hot water has finally been found in Ísafjörður. The group further discussed the ethics of hydropower in relation to environmental impacts, land ownership, and the energy security challenges faced by the region. Field trips like these provide students with valuable insight into how energy production and resource use are connected to ethical, environmental, and regional development issues in practice.