HS Orka commences geothermal exploration drilling at Krýsuvík, Iceland
HS Orka has started exploration drilling at the Sveifluháls area in Krýsuvík, Iceland to verify geothermal resources for power generation and heating.
HS Orka has announced the start of exploration drilling to at Sveifluháls in Krýsuvík in Iceland, as part of a campaign to increase the knowledge of the geothermal system in the area. Several wells are planned to be drilled, and it is expected that a new geothermal power plant in the Sveifluháls area will have an electrical capacity of 100 MW, while also providing heating to up to 50,000 people.
The plan is to drill a direction well up to 2750 meters long to a depth of over two kilometers under Sveifluhálsinn to the northwest. The goal is for the well to verify the high-temperature resources and evaluate their utilization in the Sveifluháls – Austurengjar area. Additional deep exploration wells are planned, and preparations have already begun for the next drilling site with planning work and an environmental impact assessment.
Drilling operations are being done by Iceland Drilling, using the Odin drill rig. The drill is powered by electricity, so drilling does not involve the use of oil to power its power plants, except for the first few weeks, until a new transformer station is in operation.
If the research yields the desired results, the aim is to build a geothermal power plant at Sveifluháls. The exact location of the planned power plant is yet to be decided. The results from the research drilling will be critical to this decision, as will the environmental assessment of the projects and the interaction with the nature of Krýsuvík and other economic activities in the area. An environmental assessment for the proposed construction in Krýsuvík is being prepared, but the overall project timeline spans nearly a decade.
The geothermal power plant in Sveifluháls was part of a list of planned new geothermal power projects in Iceland announced back in 2016.
Enhancing energy security and tourism with geothermal
The Hafnarfjörður Municipality owns the part of the Krýsuvík area where the research is being conducted. Krýsuvík is a popular outdoor recreation area and a popular tourist destination, but also has a significant industrial history. The geothermal development in Krýsuvík is expected to provide security to the supply of hot water, as the area currently predominantly relies on supply from the Nesjavellir hydroelectric power plant and the Hellisheidi hydroelectric power plant in the Hengil area.
In June 2024, the Hafnarfjörður Municipality and HS Orka signed an agreement on authorization for research, land use, land lease, and utilization of resource rights in connection with the potential utilization of resources in Krýsuvík. Part of the agreement is that the parties will work together on other developments that utilize resource flows from the power plant, similar to what is being done under the name Auðlindagarðsinn at HS Orka’s power plants in Svartsengi and Reykjanesvirkjun.
Emphasis will be placed on the development of eco-friendly tourism that is in harmony with the environment and nature, along with facilities for outdoor recreation as well as green business activities such as algae cultivation, natural chemical processing, greenhouse cultivation and more.
Source: HS Orka
