Carbon Fiber

Industrial lot: Skarðsmóar

The Skarðsmóar and Reykjastrond area is 97,5 ha in total and located 1 km from Sauðárkrókur.

The ground generally appears to be firm under the gravel deposits and the ground water deep, making this a good choice for a construction site.

Industrial lot: Brimnes

Brimnes/Kolkuós area is 284.5 ha located about 18 km from Sauðárkrókur.

This area is favorable for power intensive industry. The gravel beds are both extensive and flat, thus providing a good building site. 

Competitive Community

Schools at all levels are to be found in the Skagafjörður region. Three preschools and three compulsory schools are at five locations, all run by Skagafjörður municipality. We are also proud to say that our elementary schools have constantly been among the best schools in Iceland according to an international survey conducted by the OECD.

Universities and Colleges
A comprehensive high school is located in the town of Saudarkrokur, educating youth in both vocational studies such as electronics, carpentry and mechanics, and in academic fields as economics, social studies, and science. The school is developing vocational studies in plastics and composites in cooperation with the High tech center of Iceland and Innovation center of Iceland as well as with other European schools which have experience in this field.

The university of Holar offers study in three major fields; Aquaculture & Fish biology, Rural Tourism and Equine Science.

The educational level among the highest in Iceland
The educational level of the Skagafjörður region is the highest in Iceland at a par with Reykjavík area (around 30% of the workforce holds a university degree). This is probably best expressed by the intensity of research and development activities in the area. In Skagafjörður municipality are research centers in as diverse fields as; aquaculture, historical heritage, geology, biology and manmade fibers to name a few.

Transportation

:: Road links

Þverárfjallsvegur (Road 744) runs from Sauðárkrókur near Þverárfjall Mountain and connects with Highway 1 (the "Ring Road") at Blönduós. The distance from Sauðárkrókur to Reykjavík via this road is about 295 km; moreover, it ties the towns of Sauðárkrókur, Blönduós and Skagaströnd together into one employment area. The industrial site at Brimnes is located on the east coast of Skagafjörður, 27 km east of Sauðárkrókur and connects to Sauðárkrókur via Sauðárkróksbraut (Road 75). The area is centrally located in Skagafjörður.

The transport company Vörumiðlun, located beside the industrial lots at Skarðsmóar, maintains daily scheduled trips between Sauðárkrókur and Reykjavík.

:: Airport

The regional airport is located east of Sauðárkrókur, about 7 km from the industrial lots at Skarðsmóar and Skarð and 20 km from the industrial site at Brimnes. Paved with oil gravel, the north-to-south runway is 1,970 metres long, sufficing for any size of project, as well as the smallest passenger jets. The airport could easily be upgraded to handle aircraft of all sizes.

 Harbour

The Sauðárkrókur Harbour lies close to the industrial lots at Skarðsmóar and Skarð, as can be seen on the aerial photograph on the previous page. The quay length is 660 m, the quayside depth is 8 m and the harbour is capable of taking ships up to 250 m long. Every year, approx. 45-50 transport vessels enter the harbour, carrying fertiliser, oil, feed, fish, sand for Steinull Ltd, etc. The harbour is quite suitable for this amount of traffic, and could service smaller industrial lots that might be located in its vicinity. A broad tract of land has been levelled at the harbour and can be utilised for storing containers and goods in transport.

The distance from the harbour to the road linking with the areas will be approximately 1.2-2 km.

Currently, there is no harbour at Brimnes. The nearest harbours are located at Sauðárkrókur 

 Climate

Temperature in Skagafjörður fluctuates considerably but annual average temperature ranges from 2.4 to 3.1°C. The average temperature in July is approximately 10°C and the average temperature in January is approximately –2°C.

Compared to most areas in Iceland, Skagafjörður is a dry area with annual mean precipitation less than 500 mm.

 Electricity and power supply

The circular pass through power grid in Iceland is one of the most reliable in the world. This combined with long term contracts with the energy companies makes Iceland one of the most attractive locations in the world for energy intensive companies. Add to the fact that energy produced with hydro power and geothermal power as in Iceland is nature friendly, a fact that is becoming more and more significant for consumers.

Considerable unharnessed power resources are available in North Iceland. An existing hydropower plant, Blanda, with 150 MW installed capacity, is located in the near Skagafjörður area. Approximately 70 MW of the electric power from Blanda is currently transferred to the southern part of Iceland but that can easily be changed and the power instead used for a new industry in Skagafjörður. In addition, the power station will soon increase its power capacity up to 180MW in total.

Energy to the sites will be supplied over a high-tension wire connected to a mast near them.

Erthquakes and Volcanic Activity

The location of Skagafjörður is outside the main seismic activity area of Iceland. Although there is no danger from volcanic activity or earthquakes originated in the area, some earthquakes that origin in other parts of Iceland, may be felt in the area, without being damaging to property or infrastructure.

North of Skagafjörður is known seismic active area, capable of producing earthquakes up to 7.0 Richter scale. Activity there has not impacted or damaged properties or infrastructure. The latest notable activity in the area was an earthquake at 6.2 Richter scale originated about 140Km north of Sauðárkrókur in 1976 and an earthquake at 7.0 Richter scale originated about 50 Km north of Sauðárkrókur in 1963 . Both earthquakes were noted in Skagafjörður but neither of those did any damage to structures in Skagafjörður.

Water Flow

Brimnes
At Brimnes cold water is not present in large quantities. It is possible to acquire approximately 1 l/s by drilling. The closest area with passable drinking water is 10-20 km away in Hjaltadalur and in the valleys North of Hjaltadalur, Kolbeinsdalur, Deildardalur and Unadalur.

The distance between the river Kolka and the northern end of the industrial site is approximately 3 km. Some fishing of arctic char and salmon is practised in Kolka, however, the river is not considered one of Iceland´s more valuable fishing rivers. The maximum flow rate of Kolka during the period 1957 to 1988 was 270 m³/s and the minimum 0.6 m3/s. The average flow rate was 7.0 m³/s. During ice melts in the summer, the water is glacial coloured to some degree; however it can still be used as a source of industrial water for cooling.

Skarðsmóar
The site at Skarðsmóar slopes to the northeast, with water flowing in that direction, lengthwise through the site. It is easy to direct surface water to the site’s east and west outer boundaries. Water for cooling may be brought from the mouth of Gönguskarðsá, while drinking and geothermal water is both available near Skarðsmóar.

The municipality is now preparing a new cold water pipe from Hrafndalur to Sauðárkrókur, a route of about 11 km. The water collection could yield up to 150-200 liters per second.

Health care

The Skagafjörður Health Centre is divided into a hospital department and a health care department. The Skagafjörður Hospital in Sauðárkrókur, established in 1907, is now a part of the Health Centre, and an integral part of the Icelandic health care system. The hospital has well-equipped clinical wards and several technologically advanced laboratory units.

 For Families

There are many reasons why Skagafjörður is a desirable place to live, particularly for families: closeness to magnificent nature, reliable schools at every level, Iceland's least-expensive geothermal heating utility, general security, varied services, vibrant sports activities, comfortable weather conditions and an energetic cultural life