SEV is a power producer and distributor on the Faroe Islands

Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...

. The company name is derived from the names of islands Streymoy

Streymoy

Streymoy is the largest and most populated island of the Faroe Islands. The capital, Tórshavn is located there. The name means "island of currents".- Geography :...

, Eysturoy

Eysturoy

Eysturoy means East island and is the second-largest of the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic, both in size and population. It is separated by a narrow sound from the main island of Streymoy. Eysturoy is extremely rugged, with some 66 separate mountain peaks, including Slættaratindur, the...

 and Vágoy, where the production of hydroelectricity

Hydroelectricity

Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...

 first started.

History

SEV was founded on the 1 October in 1946. The foundation meeting took place in Tórshavn

Tórshavn

Tórshavn is the capital and largest town of the Faroe Islands. It is located in the southern part on the east coast of Streymoy. To the north west of the town lies the high mountain Húsareyn, and to the southwest, the high Kirkjubøreyn...

 and was attended by representatives from 19 municipalities from Streymoy, Eysturoy and Vágoy. By 1963, all Faroe's municipalities had been join the company and transferred their own power production capacities to SEV.

Activities

43% of total electricity consumed on the Faroe Islands is hydroelectricity. SEV has exclusive rights to produce hydroelectricity and it operates nine large and seven smaller hydro electric plants.

SEV is also developing other sources of renewable energy. In 1993, the company started to research wind energy with the establishment of a wind turbine

Wind turbine

A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...

 in Neshaga, above Toftir

Toftir

Toftir is a village in Nes Municipality on the island of Eysturoy, in the Faroe Islands .Toftir is part of a chain of villages stretching over a distance of 10 kilometres on the east side of Skálafjørður on Eysturoy....

. In 2005, the number of operational wind turbines increased up to three. In addition, in 2003 SEV also signed a 10 years agreement to buy electricity from Sp/f Røkt, which operates three wind turbines in Mýrunum above Vestmanna

Vestmanna

Vestmanna is a town in the Faroe Islands on the west of the island of Streymoy. It was formerly a ferry port, until an undersea tunnel was built from Vágar to Kvívík and Stykkið. The cliffs west of Vestmanna, Vestmannabjørgini are very popular for excursions by boat.A 'Vestmann' was a "Westman",...

.

SEV, Icelandic New Energy

Icelandic New Energy

Icelandic New Energy Ltd is a company that promotes the use of hydrogen fuel in Iceland founded in 1999 following a decision in 1998 by the Icelandic Parliament to convert vehicle and fishing fleets to hydrogen produced from renewable energy by 2050.Icelandic New Energy was formed as a spin-off...

, and the authorities in the Faroe Islands and Greenland

Greenland

Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...

 have established the North Atlantic Hydrogen Association to investigate hydrogen technology. In co-operation with the municipality of Vestmanna, SEV investigates possibilities to develop a solar power

Solar power

Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...

 system. Together with Wavegen

Wavegen

Voith Hydro Wavegen Limited is a wave energy company based in Inverness, Scotland. It was founded in 1990 by Allan Thomson.In 2000, Wavegen became the first company in the world to connect a commercial scale wave energy device to the grid on the Scottish island of Islay...

, a Scottish leading wave energy company, SEV develops the SeWave

SeWave

SeWave is a wave farm project in Nípanin, Faroe Islands. The project is developed by the joint venture of the Scottish wave energy developer Wavegen and the Faroe's power company SEV....

 wave farm

Wave farm

A wave farm or wave power farm is a collection of machines in the same location and used for the generation of wave power electricity.-Portugal:...

project in Nípan.

Although SEV does not have the electricity distribution monopoly by the law, it is the only company who supplies electricity on the Faroe Islands.