Landeyjahöfn (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈlantˌeiːjaˌhœpn̥]), also previously referred to as Bakkafjöruhöfn [ˈpahkaˌfjœːrʏˌhœpn̥], is a roll-on/roll-off ferry terminal and harbour serving the Herjólfur ferry to Vestmannaeyjar island. It was constructed specifically for the purpose of reducing the sailing distance from Vestmannaeyjar to the mainland. The harbour was opened on the 21st of July 2010.[1] It has a main ferry dock and terminal as well as a dock for smaller boats. The harbour is around 140 km from Reykjavík.

Landeyjahöfn ferry terminal

Previously, the Herjólfur ferry sailed to Þorlákshöfn, taking around 3 hours, now only taking around 30 minutes. The distance from Landeyjahöfn to Vestmannaeyjar is now only around 12 km, in contrast to 75 km to Þorlákshöfn.

Being constructed on sand, it has had considerable issues with sand/silt buildup and needs to be dredged regularly.[2]

Electric ferry charging station for the Herjólfur ferry. One is located in Vestmannaeyjar, the other in Landeyjahöfn.

Ship-to-shore connection edit

In August 2020, an electric ferry charging station was installed to charge the new hybrid-electric Herjólfur ferry. When sailing between Vestmannaeyjar and Landeyjahöfn, it runs purely on electricity.

The charger couples automatically with the ferry once it has docked and charges the ferry in 30 minutes while loading/unloading passengers and goods, with a power output of 2.5MW. The ferry has a 3MWh battery. The system saves around 50,000 litres of fuel per week and 3.5 million tonnes of CO2 per year.[3][4]

References edit

  1. ^ "Landeyjahöfn tekin í notkun". www.stjornarradid.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  2. ^ "Öflugra skip dýpki Landeyjahöfn". www.mbl.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  3. ^ "Mikið hagræði að notkun rafmagns". www.mbl.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  4. ^ Rarik (July 2019). "Orkuskipti í Landeyjarhöfn" (PDF).