# Verndum Melrakkasléttu (Protect Melrakkaslétta)

> Citizen information site and petition against the planned Hnotasteinn wind farm by Qair Ísland on Hólaheiði, Melrakkaslétta, Norðurþing municipality, north-east Iceland. Every key claim on the site is linked to a numbered source (#h1–#h36).

Languages: Icelandic (main), English, French, Polish, Spanish. Last updated 19 October 2026.

## Pages
- [Íslenska](https://vindorkuver.is/): full site
- [English](https://vindorkuver.is/en/)
- [Français](https://vindorkuver.is/fr/)
- [Polski](https://vindorkuver.is/pl/)
- [Español](https://vindorkuver.is/es/)

## Key facts (with sources on the site)
- Developer: Qair Ísland. Up to 30 turbines, up to 200 m tip height, up to 7.2 MW each, about 216 MW (Qair project page).
- Location: Hólaheiði in Núpasveit, about 6.5 km east of Kópasker; study area 3,330 ha; within an internationally Important Bird Area; Melrakkaslétta is on the Nature Conservation Register as "other natural heritage" (not Part B).
- 13 October 2026: the project board of the 6th phase of Iceland's Master Plan for Nature Protection and Energy Utilisation (rammaáætlun) proposed Hnotasteinn (R4303A) for the on-hold category (biðflokkur). Wilderness impact score 16.8 of 20, the highest of seven wind options; overall impact on natural and cultural heritage 6.3, also the highest. Public consultation (Samráðsgátt case 4349) until 4 January 2027.
- 19 June 2026: new wind energy law; municipal position becomes a fundamental factor in the Master Plan assessment.
- Norðurþing municipal council has not taken a formal position (status September 2026).
- Petition on Ísland.is runs 16 September – 16 December 2026; signing requires Icelandic electronic ID.

## Primary sources
- [Master Plan proposal, Oct 2026 (Samráðsgátt 4349)](https://island.is/samradsgatt/mal/4349)
- [Project board report (PDF)](https://samradapi.island.is/api/Documents/fba08db2-43c6-f111-9be0-005056bcce7e)
- [Qair – Hnotasteinn](https://qair.is/verkefni/hnotasteinn)
- [Icelandic Institute of Natural History – Melrakkaslétta](https://www.natt.is/is/midlun/natturuminjaskra/nordausturland/melrakkasletta)
- [Petition on Ísland.is](https://island.is/undirskriftalistar/a26ed4c7-6a76-482d-ad18-46618c0861cd)

## Notes
- 360° views (/360/14km/, /360/3km/, /360/500m/) are photomontages: 14 km shows the real distance; 3 km and 500 m are illustrative examples, not real turbine positions.