Harbours

IRCA operates the information system sjolag.is. On the website we publish weather information from weather stations located in selected lighthouses and measurements obtained from 11 wave sensors that are located all around the country.

Projects related to changes to harbours, expansions of ports, and any subsequent influences on the surrounding sea etc.

• Monitoring, analysis, and forecast of marine weather. Updates of the website “Veður og sjólag,” sea level measurements in harbours, inspection and analysis of previous floods, wave map and probability distribution of ocean waves, and software updates for tidal calculations and the motion of ships in harbours all fall into this category.
• Protection against natural hazards: inspection of littoral drift and land erosion, IRCA’s guidelines for ground level in low areas and the determination of a minimal ground level, tidal forecast, and inspection of floods.
• Research projects connected to port constructions and their design include geotechnical research and study of the electrification of ports.
• Research and development, e.g. the analysis of storm surges to determine the minimal floor level for buildings by the coast (low areas.)

IRCA manages the Harbour Fund (hafnarbótasjóður.) The fund finances state-run construction and damage repairs.

• The Harbour Fund finances construction according to the transport plan approved by parliament.
• The fund operates a department of development that has the goal to support smaller important ports in the countryside in terms of regional and industrial development.
• The fund compensates for damages to harbour structures that qualify for grants from the fund, as well as damages that cannot be fully compensated for with the relief fund, or due to provisions of the Act on Vessels on the limited liability of vessel operators.
• Sea defences are defences against tidal floods and land erosion due to the intrusion of the sea. Habited areas and areas with valuable structures or cultural heritage have priority when it comes to the construction of sea defences.