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The Greening of Icelandic Industries

Prof. Thorsteinn I. Sigfusson, Director General Lighthouse Day in Reykjavik, 24 May 2012

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The Lighthouse in Eyjafjördur

Greening: Definition • Greening is the process of transforming

artifacts such as a space, a lifestyle, process or a brand image into a more environmentally friendly version (i.e. 'greening your home' or 'greening your company').

• The act of greening involves incorporating "green" products and processes into one's environment, such as the home, work place, and general lifestyle.

• Wikipedia 3

Mr. Brown and Dr. Green (Alias Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde)!

• Much of Icelandic industry can be characterised as brown

• Waste treatment in municipalities is weakly founded

• We have perhaps the cleanest aluminium industry in the world – but its carbon footprints are very visible

• We are producing lots and lots of excess heat in our geothermal systems – efficiency of use must be improved

• We have a relatively efficient fishing-quota system but the way we catch fish and spend fossil energy doing that – can be improved considerably

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The sought-after green qualities

• reduced toxicity • re-usability • energy efficiency • responsible packaging and labelling • recycled content • intelligent design • responsible manufacturing techniques • reduction of personal environmental hazards

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The Waste Hierarchy

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82 % of Energy Use from Renewable CO2 Free Sources

Hydro

Geo

Oil

Coal

0

25

50

75

100

125

150

175

200

1940

1945

1950

1955

1960

1965

1970

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

Year

PJ

Hydro

GeoPeat

Oil

Coal

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

Possible decarbonization actions

• Hydrogen from renewable energy replacing imported fossil fuels: pure hydrogen and/or

Artificial Liquid fuels made from hydrogen and CO(2)

• Capture of CO2 through vegetation and soil • Capture and storage of CO2 by geological

methods

CO2 can be fixed in solid basalt

9 Reykjavik Energy Corporation and University of Iceland

A new green methanol plant was opened in Iceland last month

• One of the ideas we are working on concerns making methanol from CO2 emitted from geothermal gas.

• We use hydrogen from water electrolysis to create green methanol to be blended into gasoline.....

10 Carbon Recycling International

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Carbon electrodes Trawls Fossil fuels

Inert electrodes Optical Fishing nets Designer fuels with green hydrogen

Eco-Ethical • The Innovation Center is urging industry to

carry out a twofold agenda concerning the greening:

• On one hand ECOLOGICAL approach involving selecting the greenest technologies

• On the other hand to be open and transparent in their dealing with the public – reporting on mishaps and informing about troubles: ETHICAL

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2012 marks the five year anniversary of Innovation Center Iceland – the year will be marked as:

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We have an exciting common goal and a beautiful innovation target:

• To make Iceland 100% renewable energy economy before not so long!

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this@nmi.is

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