Should the Faroe Islands be self-sufficient?

Isolated in the North Atlantic Ocean, the Faroe Islands need to be self sufficient in terms of electricity generation as the Faroese electrical grid is not interconnected to neighbouring countries. SEV operates six hydro power plants, three thermal power plants, three wind farms and one solar power plant.

Why is Sev the main power supplier in the Faroe Islands?

SEV is the main power supplier in the Faroe Islands. We operate on 17 of the 18 islands that constitute the Faroe Islands. Isolated in the North Atlantic Ocean, the Faroe Islands need to be self sufficient in terms of electricity generation as the Faroese electrical grid is not interconnected to neighbouring countries.

Are there renewables in the Faroe Islands?

“In the Faroe Islands, we are blessed with renewables: we have wind, hydro and some sun in the summer; we also have tidal and wave power where we can see great potential,” says Nielsen. Since announcing its green vision in 2014, SEV has already done a lot to increase the share of renewables in its energy mix.

How many wind farms are there in the Faroe Islands?

Furthermore, external suppliers operate one wind farm and one biomass plant. Total installed capacity in the Faroe Islands is 163 MW and total power generation in 2019 was 386 GWh. Max demand was 63.1 MW in November 2020. In 2018, 49% of power generation came from renewable sources, i.e. hydro and wind power, respectively.

Is the Faroes going green?

Nielsen is Head of R&D at Elfelagið SEV, the publicly-owned, primary power-producer on the islands, and he has a clear vision: “Our future energy supply in the Faroes is green. We have set a goal of becoming 100% green by 2030 in terms of on-shore electricity.”

Can the Faroe Islands be a smart microgrid?

“The energy system in the Faroe Islands is an impressive example of how all available energy resources can be integrated into a smart and innovative microgrid,” says Vehkakoski.