Geothermal Energy in Iceland

The first geothermal power plant was built in 1969, today Iceland is home to seven of them. Initially, Icelanders used the energy for simple tasks such as cleaning and bathing and it wasn’t until the start of the 20th century that Icelanders started to use geothermal energy in different ways.

Today, Iceland is a pioneer in the geothermal energy sector and it accounts for 25% of the country’s total energy production. It has transformed itself into the world leader in geothermal heating.

There is no national grid in Iceland, instead the energy is produced by simply drilling a hole in the ground near one of the 600 natural springs. The steam released is then used to turn the turbines and pump water to nearby settlements.

Geothermal water is used to heat about 90% of the homes in Iceland and the hot springs have become a tourist attraction that generate millions in revenue for the Icelandic government annually

2 thoughts on “Geothermal Energy in Iceland”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *