The Finnafjord Port ( ) is a proposed deepwater port and industrial site in
Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
.
Construction is expected to begin between 2021 and 2023 and will continue until at least 2040.
Background
In recent years,
Trans-polar shipping along the
Northeast Passage
The Northeast Passage (abbreviated as NEP) is the shipping route between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, along the Arctic coasts of Norway and Russia. The western route through the islands of Canada is accordingly called the Northwest Passage (N ...
has become more viable due to the
decline of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. If Arctic Sea Ice continues to shrink, the Northeast Passage could become navigable year-round, significantly reducing the journey from
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
In 2013, the Icelandic engineering firm EFLA and Bremenports GmbH, which manages the
Ports of Bremen
The Ports of Bremen, Bremen Ports or Bremish Ports, in German "Bremische Häfen" consist of the commercial ports in Bremen and Bremerhaven. They are managed by ''bremenports GmbH & Co. KG'', a company of private status in public property.
In 201 ...
in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, announced they would investigate the viability of an Arctic trans-shipment hub in Finnafjord.
In 2019, Bremenports announced it had entered into a joint venture agreement with EFLA to construct the port. Currently, Bremenports owns 66% of the port, EFLA owns 26%, and the nearby municipalities of
Vopnafjarðarhreppur and
Langanesbyggð
Langanesbyggð () is a municipality in northeastern Iceland, just north of Eastern Region. The main village is Þórshöfn, in the north there is the Langanes
Langanes () is a peninsula in northeast Iceland. The name literally means "long penins ...
own 8%.
EFLA claims that the port could be a distribution hub for offshore
Arctic oil and mineral resources in
Greenland
Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...
and Iceland.
Location
The Finnafjord Port is located south of the Langanes Peninsula in the
Eastern Region. Like many
fjord
In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Ice ...
s in Iceland, Finnafjord is rich with
gravel
Gravel is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally throughout the world as a result of sedimentary and erosive geologic processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone.
Gravel is classifi ...
, which could be used to build up the harbor facility near the coast.
The waters around Iceland are ice-free year round due to the Gulf Stream.
See also
*
Arctic shipping routes
Arctic shipping routes are the maritime paths used by vessels to navigate through parts or the entirety of the Arctic. There are three main routes that connect the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans: the Northeast Passage, the Northwest Passage, and ...
External links
Finnafjord Port Project
References
{{reflist
Ports and harbours in Europe