Geothermal Energy in Iceland

• Main Author: Kathrin Kranz
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arctic; Mid-Atlantic Ridge; Iceland; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.563.6073; http://www.geo.tu-freiberg.de/oberseminar/os06_07/Kathrin Kranz.pdf

Abstract. Due to Iceland’s location on the Mid-Atlantic ridge, the island is provi-ded with a great amount of geothermal energy. Hence, Iceland is well on the way to becoming completely independent of fossil fuels. Whereas high-temperature ar-eas are mainly used for electricity generation, the more frequent low-temperature areas are utilized for direct application like space heating, bathing and green-houses. Research done on the IDDP, which deals with Supercritical Geothermal Systems, is expected to be of global significance. In 2005, geothermal energy amounted for just over half of the country’s primary energy needs. The advantages of utilizing geothermal heat are expressed in Iceland by an exceptional migration into the urban area of Reykjavìk. Facts about Iceland Iceland is located in the North-Atlantic Ocean, close to the Arctic Circle. With 307,000 inhabitants on an area of 103,000 km2, Iceland is the second largest island state in Europe after Great Britain. Simultaneously it also has the smallest popula-tion density in Europe. The cause for that is among other things that Iceland is