ENERGY IN ICELAND - Orkustofnun

Figure 3. Installed capacity of the mainhydropower plants.Figure 4. High and low temperaturegeothermal areas.hot water springs in 250 low-temperaturefields, and 32 active high-temperature fieldshave been identified.Geothermal energy is generally classified asa renewable resource. This is based on thefact that geothermal sources are steadily renewed,although this renewal takes place ata varying rate depending upon the nature ofthe geothermal reservoir. Energy productionfrom hot dry rock, which is not practiced inIceland, is solely dependent on the energysource, i.e. the heat current from the earthwhich is so slow that compared to the timescale of human activity it cannot be consideredas a renewable energy source. All othergeothermal production is dependent on theenergy carrier, i.e. hot water or steam, andsustainable production can be maintainedwith proper management. Figure 5 showsthe estimated source of Iceland’s primarygeothermal power.The utilization of geothermal resourcestakes place across the country. Over theyears, drilling projects in so-called cold areashave successfully increased the number ofmunicipalities that are able to receive hotwater for house heating. Geothermal utilizationhas greatly increased in recent years,not least due to the increased capacity forgenerating electrical power. Figure 6 showsthe installed capacity of geothermal powerplants combined with plants under construction.High and lowtemperatureIn low temperature geothermal systems, temperaturesin the uppermost 1,000 m may reach up to150°C. In the high temperature fields, on the otherhand, temperatures reach over 200°C at 1,000 m depth. High temperature geothermalareas are found within the active volcanic zone of Iceland, see Figure 4.16