The Krafla Geothermal Plant is located near Myvatn, Iceland. The power station commenced development in 1977, with regular operations starting the following year. The plant has 18 boreholes, through which water is pumped into the earth’s surface to a depth of up to 2.2 km. The water is heated by the naturally occurring hot rocks, where it is turned to steam and returns to the surface at pressure. The steam is transported by overground pipes (see picture above) to two 30 MW steam turbines, where the heat and pressure is converted to electricity.
The project is located in a highly volcanic area of Iceland, at the location the Mid-Atlantic Ocean ridge meets land. At this location, the European and American tectonic plates are moving apart. The last period of volcanic activity was in 1977, as part of an eruption called the Krafla fires.
Country: Iceland
Download Case Study