For decades, one Nordic nation has been utilizing a subterranean resource that is as eco-friendly as it is abundant, but experts believe that its full potential has yet to be unearthed.
According to the government of Iceland, the country relies on geothermal power for 66% of its total energy needs and 25% of its electricity output. The renewable commodity, produced by hot steam or water powering turbines, helps with growing electricity demands while offsetting shortcomings from variable sources like solar and wind.
According to Canary Media, the nonprofit research initiative Krafla Magma Testbed plans to drill two holes over the next four years to test the feasibility and efficiency of harnessing geothermal energy from hot fluid.
The first well, set for 2026, will allow researchers near the Krafla volcanic caldera to study and measure "supercritical" fluid reservoirs, which possess three to four times more energy than typical hot water. It will also help crews predict volcanic activity and determine how and where to drill to locate liquid rock without getting stuck in magma.
That research will prepare KMT for its second well in 2028 when it will attempt to produce power from the heat using equipment that it hopes can endure the harsh elements miles below the surface.
Should the $105 million project succeed, it could allow others to follow suit, as Canary Media cited a report from the Institute of Physics that found that 1 billion people worldwide reside within 60 miles of a volcano.
The Iceland Deep Drilling Project initially stumbled upon supercritical fluid 15 years ago after drilling a well near Krafla. Crews intended to reach a depth of 3 miles but made it only halfway through before hitting magma. They found that the steam-like phase near the magma could produce an estimated 50 megawatts of clean energy — about 10 times more than what a regular high-temperature well in Iceland can generate.
"There's a possibility to get so much more out of the sites than we are today," KMT CEO Björn Þór Guðmundsson said. "At the moment, we're basically just eating the crumbs on the plate but not eating the cake itself."
Those without access to a local volcano can wait for Reykjavík Energy to research the feasibility of drilling deep enough to reach dry rocks with temperatures around 750 degrees Fahrenheit.
The utility company will then fracture the rocks and create an artificial reservoir by pumping water down.
Reykjavík Energy is working with U.S. advocacy group Clean Air Task Force and Icelandic NGO Transition Labs on the $15 million to $20 million project, which will commence sometime in 2027 or 2028 near the Nesjavellir geothermal power plant.
Though Fervo Energy has yet to reach superhot rocks while drilling in Nevada and Utah, it's following a similar blueprint as Reykjavík Energy by fragmenting rocks to tap into its geothermal potential. Meanwhile, Mazama Energy recently received funding from the Department of Energy to pursue a similar project at Oregon's Newberry Volcano.
With companies and government agencies worldwide seeking new ways to access geothermal energy, the Clean Air Task Force will serve as an intermediary, helping researchers compare data to make the process "better, faster, cheaper," per Terra Rogers, the program director for the organization's Superhot Rock Energy department.
"Every effort to demonstrate how ubiquitous and abundant this resource is is a step in the right direction," she said, adding that geothermal "could really have an impact and timeline that's meaningful for the climate."
"We need to think about how we're going to provide both electricity and district heating for people 100 years from now," said Arna Pálsdóttir, head of resource innovation at Reykjavík Energy. "We're really figuring out everything we can at this point so that we're ready for the future."
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
