Energy Security in the Arctic: A Case Study of Renewable Energy on Grimsey Island

• Main Author: DiBari, Christian Patrick, 1993-
• Other Authors: Háskóli Íslands
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: Umhverfis- og auðlindafræði; Orkumál; Endurnýjanleg orka; Grímsey; Norðlægar slóðir; Arctic; Borga; Grimsey; Iceland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1946/33405

A discussion of Arctic energy is challenging to imagine without mention of the popular statistic from the oft-cited USGS survey that estimates over 90 billion barrels of oil and 13 percent of the world’s undiscovered oil reserves are present in the Arctic. However, less often discussed in popular academic literature is the energy used by those residing in the remote regions of the Arctic. In some parts of the Arctic, residents pay up to three to five times more per kilowatt hour than those in urban areas. Furthermore, the remote location of many Arctic communities makes accessing energy a challenge. Energy security is the availability of energy at an affordable price. This thesis is a three-part examination of energy security in the Arctic. First, the attitudes of various Arctic states towards energy security in the Arctic and for the Arctic is examined by reviewing national Arctic and energy strategies. Then, in the remaining two parts, the case of Grímsey Island in the north of Iceland is examined. First, various renewable energy technologies are examined for their applicability in Grímsey using a literature review. Then, using a micro-grid optimization software, HOMER, the Grímsey case is studied specifically. The results from this thesis indicate that the adoption of a wind-battery-diesel system on Grímsey are economically feasible and cost competitive over a twenty-year project life on the island. The net present costs associated with a partial renewable project are much lower than those of the diesel system. The results of this report can be used in developing a new plan for Grímsey Island or other remote Arctic communities. Það getur verið erfitt að ræða orkumál á norðurslóðum án þess að minnast á tölfræði bandarísku jarðvísindastofnunarinnar sem áætlar að yfir 90 milljarðar tunna af olíu, eða 13% af óuppgötvuðum olíulindum heims, séu á norðurslóðum. Orkunotkun íbúa á jaðarsvæðum norðurslóða er minna rædd í vísindagreinum. Í ákveðnum hlutum norðurslóða, borga íbúar allt að þrisvar til fimm sinnum hærra ...