Point of interest
The Geothermal Energy Exhibition
12 locals recommend
Location
Hellisheiðarvirkjun
Ölfus, Sveitarfélagið Ölfus
Tips from locals
Thanks to its position on a volatile section of the Mid-Atlantic ridge, Iceland is a world leader in the use of geothermal energy. Of the six geothermal power plants in Iceland, Hellisheiði (pronounced “het-li-shay-thee”) is the newest and largest. Hellisheiði Power Plant is situated in the Hengill area in South West Iceland and provides electricity and hot water for space heating in the industrial and domestic sectors in Iceland. To access the potential energy under the surface, wells are drilled thousands of metres into the ground, penetrating reservoirs of pressurised water. Heated by the Earth’s energy, this water can be more than 300°C in temperature, and when released it boils up from the well, turning partly to steam on its way. At Hellisheiði, the steam is separated from the water to power some of the plant’s seven turbines, while the remaining water is further depressurised to create more steam, used to power other turbines. At its maximum output the station can produce 303MW of electricity, making it one of the largest single unit power plants in the world.
Thanks to its position on a volatile section of the Mid-Atlantic ridge, Iceland is a world leader in the use of geothermal energy. Of the six geothermal power plants in Iceland, Hellisheiði (pronounced “het-li-shay-thee”) is the newest and largest. Hellisheiði Power Plant is situated in the Hengi…
The Geothermal Energy Exhibition is a nice place to visit if you are interested in geology and nature.
Explore the geothermal power plant and see how Iceland gets its renewable energy and limitless supply of hot water for its many geothermal pools, toasty warm houses, and luxurious hot showers.
A very high-tech geothermal plant where you get to see all the details how Iceland heats all houses wit the underground geothermal hotwater.
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