KADECO looks to leverage Iceland airport expansion
Keflavik Airport Development Company. KADECO is responsible for exploiting the potential of the expansion of Iceland’s main airport, Keflavik, for the surrounding area and using the expansion to diversify job opportunities.
A year ago, KADECO launched the K64 program and projects are already materialising from that which are of national importance, according to managing director Pálmi Randversson.
“We represent the area around Keflavik Airport. Today we are getting around eight million passengers per year. For a very small community, it puts stress on all of the infrastructure and it also generates a lot of opportunities of course.”
The company is looking at projects at the nearby harbour where there are opportunities around hydrogen production, while a waste incinerator will generate energy for the area.
“We’re very fortunate in Iceland. We have almost totally renewable energy already with hydro power and geothermal power, but still we would like to have more energy to work with so we are looking into alternative energy sources at this site.” Wind turbines are among the options being considered.
The transport link between the airport and Iceland’s capital Reykjavik are also being examined. “It needs to be improved. It’s either going to be a rail or a highway with green buses that will operate into the future, so that’s absolutely something that we would like to put more focus on.”
Meanwhile, teams at the airport are also looking at the “logical” airport development options such as hotels and offices.
Sustainability considerations go beyond energy and the aim is to create a sustainable future of the entire community, the airport and critical infrastructure in Iceland, including looking at the future of aviation fuels.
“We’re also looking into how the municipalities and the communities need to evolve according to the future plans. There are lot of jobs that will be created and there’s a lot of infrastructure that needs to be built, such as schools and health centres and so forth and of course, a lot of residential development as well.”
