Zoning consultation open: 15 Apr – 27 May 2026

Iceland's next
deep-water
harbour.

A 101.7 ha deep-water port and green industrial park rising on the western shore of Hvalfjörður, adjacent to Grundartangi, minutes from Reykjavík, engineered for the circular economy.

Explore the project → Become a tenant
0
ha
Total development area
0
m quay
Continuous deep-water berth
0
m draft
At berth: largest vessels
0
min
To Reykjavík post-Sundabraut
The Project

A new gateway for
Southwest Iceland.

Galtarhöfn is a new deep-water port and industrial zone on the western shore of Hvalfjörður, directly adjacent to the established Grundartangi area. It is designed to absorb the overflow from Grundartangi, which is at capacity, and to serve as the Greater Reykjavík region's next major cargo and cruise terminal.

01

Deep-water by design

One of Iceland's deepest fjords with world-class natural shelter, up to 20 metres of draft at the quay wall. Natural depth, minimal dredging, world-class approach.

02

A kilometre of quay

1,000 metres of continuous berth able to serve bulk carriers, container ships, RoRo vessels, and the largest modern cruise ships, all shore-powered.

03

101.7 hectares

Of industrial and port land zoned for circular-economy operations, with lot sizes from 0.8 ha to 4 ha and build heights up to 18 m.

04

Green-park principles

Every tenant operates inside a closed loop: clean water, geothermal heat, renewable grid power, and waste-heat recovery from vessels.

05

Adjacent to Grundartangi

Directly west of one of Iceland's largest industrial clusters, with full existing road network and immediate grid access.

Port Zone
37.1 ha
Industrial Zone (AF15)
64.6 ha
Max Build Height
18 m
Lot Sizes
0.8 – 4 ha
Why Now

Grundartangi is full.
Sundahöfn is shrinking.

The Greater Reykjavík region is running out of deep-water port capacity exactly as demand accelerates. Galtarhöfn is the only site within 50 kilometres of the capital that can meet the coming decade of growth.

The Problem
  • Grundartangi port is fully booked several days per week, vessels must wait or divert.
  • Planned expansions, salmon farming, a magnesium plant, Eimskip operations, will only increase pressure.
  • Sundahöfn in Reykjavík faces downsizing as the capital densifies and Sundabraut redirects freight north.
  • No comparable deep-water alternative exists within 50 km of Reykjavík.
"Due to changed conditions, including densification in Reykjavík, there is significant demand for spacious operational areas near the capital region. Businesses have increasingly been moving operations outside the city." Source: Hvalfjarðarsveit municipal planning document
The Solution
  • A dedicated 1,000 m quay with up to 20 m draft, engineered for the largest bulk carriers and cruise ships.
  • 101.7 hectares of industrial land zoned for warehousing, processing, logistics and on-site production.
  • Direct connection to Route 1: with Sundabraut and Hvalfjarðargöng II reducing travel time to Reykjavík to under 30 minutes.
  • Green-park operating model: circular-economy infrastructure from day one.
Location

Where Hvalfjörður
meets the ring road.

Galtarhöfn sits on the north shore of Hvalfjörður near its western mouth, one of Iceland's most sheltered and deepest fjords, immediately west of the Grundartangi heavy-industry zone on the Klafastaðir lands in Hvalfjarðarsveit. The Hvalfjarðargöng tunnel puts Reykjavík just 40 km away; Akranes is 15 km to the west, Borgarnes 40 km north.

To Reykjavík
40 km
To Akranes
15 km
Natural Depth
Up to 20 m
Residential Conflicts
0
Infrastructure 2026–2032

Four national roadworks,
one transformed region.

Four major government transport projects will dramatically improve connectivity to Galtarhöfn over the next five to seven years, each one directly strengthens the port's viability.

01 · 2027

Sundabraut

11 km bridge / tunnel link from Sæbraut to Kjalarnes. Eliminates the Mosfellsbær detour and turns Hvalfjörður from "remote" into "adjacent" to the capital.

02 · 2028

Kjalarnes II

Continuation of Sundabraut northward, connecting Kjalarnes directly to Vesturlandsvegur and from there to Hvalfjarðargöng.

03 · 2030

Hvalfjarðargöng II

A second tunnel bore doubles capacity, enables two-way heavy freight simultaneously, and removes the current bottleneck.

04 · UNDERWAY

Vesturlandsvegur 2+1

Route 1 upgrade already underway, alternating passing lanes past Galtarhöfn itself, improving safety and heavy-transport capacity.

→

Net effect: Reykjavík–Galtarhöfn drops from ~55 min to ~25–30 min. Corridor freight capacity more than doubles. Galtarhöfn becomes the natural materials and cargo gateway for Southwest Iceland.

Site Plan

101.7 hectares,
purpose-built.

Two zones, one vision: a robust industrial area for large-footprint operations and a purpose-built port area for the largest vessels, directly connected to Iceland's renewable grid.

AF15 Industrial
64.6 ha
Warehousing, processing, logistics, on-site production
Port Zone
37.1 ha
Quay, storage yards, port operations
Total
101.7 ha
Lot sizes 0.8 – 4 ha · Max height 18 m
Key Infrastructure
  • ▲1,000 m quay wall: bulk, container, cruise-capable.
  • ↓Up to 20 m draft: accommodates the largest deep-sea vessels.
  • ⚡Shore power at every berth: every vessel plugs in, zero harbour emissions.
  • ◎10 MW+ electrical capacity from Landsnet, renewable by default.
  • ≈Dual water system: separate drinking and industrial water networks.
  • →Direct Route 1 access: Iceland's ring road at the perimeter.
Master plan · 2026 Master site-plan drawing for Galtarhöfn showing numbered lots, internal roads and quay alignment
Landnr. 133627 · Lóðir · Vinnuteikning 250326
Plan ↔ terrain Same master site plan overlaid on aerial satellite imagery of the Galtarhöfn site
Overlaid on real terrain · Hvalfjörður north shore
Port Services

Every class of vessel.
Every category of cargo.

A multi-purpose terminal designed for bulk, container, RoRo, cruise and project cargo, with access to significant aggregate reserves from nearby mines.

Autonomous container cranes operating under the aurora at the Galtarhöfn quay
Autonomous quay operations · 1,000 m berth · shore-powered
◼

Bulk cargo

Ferrosilicon, cement, aggregate, fishmeal, grain, fertiliser, direct quay loading from on-site processing.

◆

Aggregate shipping

High-grade aggregate from nearby mines, processed on-site and shipped throughout Iceland.

▣

Container handling

Overflow capacity for Sundahöfn as Reykjavík densifies, with faster turnarounds and no queuing.

◐

Cruise terminal

20 m draft allows the largest modern cruise vessels, 5,000+ passengers, shore-powered while docked.

▶

RoRo capability

Vehicles, machinery and heavy equipment, with laydown area and direct ring-road access.

◭

Specialized cargo

Wind-turbine components, industrial modules and heavy or oversized cargo, with up to 1,000 m of berth and 18 m allowed build height.

Energy Exchange

Ships don't just consume.
They participate.

Every berth is wired for a two-way energy flow: renewable shore power out, residual heat back in. The port behaves like a living organ of Iceland's energy grid.

⚡
Shore Power

100% renewable grid, ships shut down main engines at berth.

♨
Geothermal Heat

179°C hot water piped to quayside, district heating for ships.

↻
Waste Heat Recovery

Residual thermal energy from vessels returns into the port network.

◎
Autonomous Ops

Automated mooring, smart-grid management, AI berth scheduling.

⟳
Grid Balancing

Predictable vessel load lets the port serve as a flexible asset for Landsnet.

Circular Economy

A park where materials
never become waste.

Galtarhöfn is built on the principles of the circular economy, which shape the operational models of every tenant on site, with a focus on sharing, repair, reuse, remanufacturing and recycling, supported by clean water, geothermal heat and renewable electricity.

W
Clean Water

Icelandic mineral water, pH 8.8, 30–50 L/s

H
Geothermal

179°C hot water for heat & power

E
Renewable Grid

Hydro + geothermal from Landsnet

M
Nearby Mines

Reliable aggregate reserve for construction and operations

T
Tenants

Processing, prefab, bottling, logistics

P
Port Export

Direct mine-to-ship loading, zero intermediate transport

Project Status

Live today.
Operational by 2029.

Zoning has been approved by Hvalfjarðarsveit. Public consultation is open right now. Environmental impact assessment is underway under Act 111/2021.

28 JAN 2026
Zoning Approved

Hvalfjarðarsveit municipal council

15 APR – 27 MAY 2026
Public Consultation

Open now: stakeholder submissions

Q3 2026
EIA Decision

Environmental impact (Act 111/2021)

2027
Construction Starts

Quay wall, infrastructure, utilities

2029
First Berths Operational

Initial tenants move in

Be part of it

Build the next chapter
of Icelandic industry.

We are speaking with operators, logistics partners, shipping lines, cruise operators, aggregate exporters and green-industrial tenants. Whether you need a 0.8 ha laydown yard or a 4 ha processing facility, we would like to hear from you.

Start a conversation → Review planning docs
Project Lead
Gunnar Þór Gunnarsson
Forsvarsmaður · Galtarhöfn ehf.
Direct
[email protected]
+354 612 7879