Perspectives: Faroe Islands Community Energy

Arriving in the Faroes was a great experience – the views were stunning, the taxi driver was surprisingly well-articulated and knowledgeable providing heaps of local knowledge on the 45 minute drive from the airport to the airbnb house placed in the centre of the Faroese capital of Torshavn. After having my first interaction with the sleeping situation initially arranged on my behalf (Accidentally a hard wooden floor in a livingroom), I left the house and the inviting, slightly intoxicated strangers (Now good friends) which it held in the living room to go look for a place to get some decent shut-eye. Exempting the initial impression, and primarily due to this situation, my living experience in the Faroes has turned out to become astonishingly exceptional.  I had the pleasure of spending my first night in a house outside the town centre which was allocated to me by our trusty commander-in-chief, Anna. She turned all possible stones and much to her chagrin/relief, I insiste...

Coming from the UK, my first impression of the Faroe Islands was how harsh the landscape was, compare that to the green rolling hills and over-reaching trees of the South-West of England, imagining the effort to survive on these rocks and in this water. The fog blocked most of the view on the first day and after it cleared I was met with a bizzare mix of architecture. The beauty of the old houses with grass roofs and the contrast behind that of some strange 1980’s coal miner looking houses. The lack of trees and sheep roaming free reminded me of Orkney, where I have been living for the last year. The one largest surprise upon arrival in Torshavn was the functioning, bustling harbours that line these coasts, something that has been absent from most UK shores for some time. The shells which used to support fishermen and coastal communities have been given back to nature for 40 years and the silence that fills old fishing towns on UK shores has all the hallmarks of these functio...

Beautiful, Welcoming and Innovation are a few of many words that may come to mind while tempting to describe my experience in The Faroe Islands. The stunning landscapes and waterfronts in the town of Torshavn and the islands in general creates a sense of gratitude to how alluring nature can be in this archipelago. Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder; The Faroe Islands would be the essence of beauty. The Faeroese people here are very receptive having a warm welcoming deposition towards non-indigenes. I am part of a group of 6 international students from different countries who are representing Heriot-Watt university at the International Community Energy Challenge. Our accommodation was provided by a lovely lady with a gorgeous dog who came around to have a chat with us introducing herself as the deputy mayor of Torshavn. It may not seem like a huge deal to some people but where I am from, we don’t even get to see the local councilor of a community. It just amazing to see h...

Islands and islanders are slow to change – as I have often heard and readily believed. However, my first few days in the Faroe Islands made me question the sentiment and took me down memory lane. I was born in Hong Kong, an island on the other side of the world. An impending change in the political regime prompted my family to move to Toronto, Canada when I was a child. As time passed, any “islandless” I experienced living in Hong Kong faded away. As an adult, life brought me to Australia (another island!), where we saw a rotating house. My husband and I constructed one of our own in a small town on the north shore of Prince Edward Island, an island paradise on the east coast of Canada. As luck would have it, the HLN’s International Community Energy Challenge brought me to the Faroe Islands. It wasn’t until I arrived in Torshavn that I noticed how effortlessly “new” can co-exist with “old”. From the thatch roof on a sushi restaurant to the modern Bakkafrost facilities ...

We went shopping for food items today, myself, another Canadian student and two from Iceland. While we were there I found my faviourite drink; kefir, even better because it’s difficult to find the effervescent/fermented type in Canada... usually its just regular yogurt. And it was insanely inexpensive in comparison, approximately $3/L instead of ~$8/L for the good stuff.  I made some pasta with a tomato and mushroom sauce. I made a table of some of the ingredients I used and any differences of note. All prices are shown in CAD. Considered as purchased from Supermarket chains, not local producers, large-scale agriculture does not exist on Faroe Islands for many of the products listed. Food (Faroese) Price in Canada (PEI) Price in Faroe Islands (Torshavn)  Country of Origin (Canada) Country of Origin (Faroe Islands) Notes Garlic ( Hvidl ø g ) $3.50/100g $1.70/100g California (USA) Spain Cheaper garlic can certainly be found in Canada but is...

International students coming to the Feroes from Orkney A group of 6 students from 6 different nationalities has just arrived from the Orkneys to fulfill the Community Hydrogen Challenge invthe Feroes. We all are renewable energy Master students coming from different backgrounds.  As expected, we all are feeling unfamiliar in this Community, as we are coming from southern countries (UK, Spain, Portugal, France and specially Nigeria). We all had initially moved to the Orkney Islands in September and now just moved further north to the Faroes. However, we are all excited to work in this project un order to contribute with the Community and develop our skills.  Just landed from Orkney, we felt really impressed by the landscape and we are looking forward to getting into the culture and enjoy the Islands through all the organised activities.

We left Prince Edward Island 24 hrs ago and have just landed in Vagar. Flying in, awaking from a brief slumber, I was struck as the clouds parted and from the dark North Atlantic waters, the Faroes emerged. The land is majestic and striking. Water cascades down the hills as winding roads and plentiful sheep guide us to the Capital.  We sense that we are in a special place at a special time. I am eager to learn with my international teammates and to meet the Faroe Island companies. It will be a life altering experience to be a part of the Hydrogen Learning Network, Community Energy Challenge.  I am exhilarated and the anticipation of what these days will bring is allaying my exhaustion for the moment. We all have a role to play in a sustainable future and clearly this place, this challenge, and this time is a first chapter in meeting that goal.