An Icelandic exploration company is looking into tapping an enormous new source of green renewable energy in Iceland: Submarine geothermal energy. The company envisions using the energy to generate electricity on off-shore geothermal power plants on platforms not unlike those used in off-shore oil drilling.
The Icelandic National Energy Authority has granted the company, North Tech Energy, a permit to search for geothermal energy on two exploration areas on the Icelandic continental shelf. At this stage the goal is to gather data and search for areas which could be used to generate geothermal energy.
Potentially enormous quantities of untapped green energy
The size and energy of geothermal fields off the coast has not been studied, and these could add significantly to the know stock of green and renewable energy in Iceland. Previous studies have shown that the areas are extremely active geothermally, generating immense quantities of energy which is currently simply bleeding into the ocean.
The two exploration areas are vast. One stretches along the Reykjanes ridge, and the other covers most of the seabed off the coast of North Iceland. Both areas are on the North Atlantic ridge, the fault line where the European and North American continental plates drift apart, with magma rising up from the earth's mantle. The ridge is therefore extremely geologically active, with frequent submarine eruptions and high levels of geothermal activity.
Less negative environmental impact
The founder of the company, Geir Brynjar Hagalínsson grew up at a hydropower plant in North Iceland where his father was the station manager. He has worked on geothermal drilling projects, as well as drilling for oil and gas under high temperature conditions.
Geir told the local TV station Stöð 2 that utilizing geothermal energy out at sea would eliminate one of the most significant negative environmental impact geothermal energy generation brings, the disruption of untouched landscapes and beautiful geothermal formations.
Geothermal power generation on land requires the construction of roads, networks of pipes and other structures in pristine landscapes and the destruction of picturesque geothermal formations. Generating geothermal energy at sea would only disrupt the landscape of the seabed far off the coast.
An Icelandic exploration company is looking into tapping an enormous new source of green renewable energy in Iceland: Submarine geothermal energy. The company envisions using the energy to generate electricity on off-shore geothermal power plants on platforms not unlike those used in off-shore oil drilling.
The Icelandic National Energy Authority has granted the company, North Tech Energy, a permit to search for geothermal energy on two exploration areas on the Icelandic continental shelf. At this stage the goal is to gather data and search for areas which could be used to generate geothermal energy.
Potentially enormous quantities of untapped green energy
The size and energy of geothermal fields off the coast has not been studied, and these could add significantly to the know stock of green and renewable energy in Iceland. Previous studies have shown that the areas are extremely active geothermally, generating immense quantities of energy which is currently simply bleeding into the ocean.
The two exploration areas are vast. One stretches along the Reykjanes ridge, and the other covers most of the seabed off the coast of North Iceland. Both areas are on the North Atlantic ridge, the fault line where the European and North American continental plates drift apart, with magma rising up from the earth's mantle. The ridge is therefore extremely geologically active, with frequent submarine eruptions and high levels of geothermal activity.
Less negative environmental impact
The founder of the company, Geir Brynjar Hagalínsson grew up at a hydropower plant in North Iceland where his father was the station manager. He has worked on geothermal drilling projects, as well as drilling for oil and gas under high temperature conditions.
Geir told the local TV station Stöð 2 that utilizing geothermal energy out at sea would eliminate one of the most significant negative environmental impact geothermal energy generation brings, the disruption of untouched landscapes and beautiful geothermal formations.
Geothermal power generation on land requires the construction of roads, networks of pipes and other structures in pristine landscapes and the destruction of picturesque geothermal formations. Generating geothermal energy at sea would only disrupt the landscape of the seabed far off the coast.
