THERMAL HEATING AT REYKJAVIK

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5278, 13 December 1946, Page 6

THERMAL HEATING AT REYKJAVIK

Mayor Receives 'Data On Icelandic Scheme Tlie Minister of Foreign Affairs, Iceland, has written to the Mayor of Rotorua, Mr. P. A. Kusabs, giving information about the running of the Reykjavik thermal water reticulation project installed some time ago. In reply to the Mayor's inquiry, the Minister stated that the initial costs of the hot water system were three times the calculated cost before the war. This was due mainly to a rise in wages and greatly increased' freight charges; the cost of materials had increased proportionately much less. In spite of all this, the project was running at a profit, for coal was now four times as expensive as before the war and the price of hot water was kept at a level which made the heating of houses a little cheaper than by the use of coal. The foreign materials for the project, including the pipes, was originally purcbased from Denmark. One shipment reached Iceland before the war but the German oceupation prevented the remainder of the material from being shipped. All attempts to get it released were in vain and material had to be secured from the United States, from where it was brought over in several shipments. Two of the transports were sunk, This long delay was another reason ior the great increase in initial costs. A schematic drawing, showing how much hot water had been pumped from the spring at Reykir each day for the year 1945 and also showing the average consumption a month was J appended.