WGC2020+1 – Meet Icelandic engineering group Mannvit

Thorsteinn Sigmarsson of Mannvit on site at Dieng, Indonesia (source: video screenshot, Mannvit/ Geo Dipa)

Alexander Richter 18 Oct 2021

Getting ready for the World Geothermal Congress 2020+1 starting Oct. 24, 2021 in Reykjavik, Iceland, ThinkGeoEnergy is collaborating with Green by Iceland and Iceland Geothermal, a cluster initiative by the Iceland geothermal energy sector on a short interview series.

Today, meet Thorsteinn Sigmarsson, Director of Asian Markets at Icelandic engineering group Mannvit. Mannvit is a leading engineering group in geothermal power development consulting with decades of experience. The company offers a comprehensive suite of design and consulting services that can take a project from start to finish.

It provides consulting for initial concept studies, feasibility studies and technical due diligence of existing projects. Mannvit further offers geothermal exploration, evaluation of geothermal fields and world leading reservoir modeling consulting, drilling consulting, tendering of drilling services and Company Man during drilling.

1. Any suggestions for WGC attendees that are “must-see” while they are in Iceland? 

• Firstly, I would recommend the attendees visit the Hellisheidi Power plant, which is — in my opinion — a flagship among geothermal plants worldwide.
• Many tourists visit the Blue lagoon but forget the swimming pools in Reykjavik, which are fantastic. Especially in autumn and winter, it is possible to sit in the hot tub, watching just the stars and the moon.
• A visit to FlyOver Iceland is something I still want to do myself and looks fun. The lava-spewing volcano in Fagradalsfjall, just outside Reykjavik, is, of course, a must-see. [Note: it is idle at the moment]

2. How did you come to work for Mannvit, and how has this changed your view on sustainable energy?

I have been an employee of Mannvit and its predecessors for almost 25 years, working in the geothermal sector from my first week. I started around the time when the Nesjavellir Geothermal Power plant was under construction. Nesjavellir was one of the first plants in the world to generate both heat and power, and I recall being enormously impressed by how valuable all the streams are. Even the gas stream, which used to be considered waste, is becoming a part of the sustainable value chain. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of this exciting time.

3. Talk about your company’s area of expertise?

Mannvit is an engineering company providing services in a wide array of engineering disciplines. With roots in Iceland, the company has branch offices in central Europe, East Africa, South-East Asia, and Greenland, with services directly provided to clients in these areas. Mannvit has established itself where our projects and people can contribute their expertise to promote geothermal and renewable energy.

4. How many countries have you worked in with geothermal?

I have worked on geothermal projects in around ten countries. For example, my work has mainly been in Iceland, Indonesia, Ethiopia, and Dominica over the past year.

5. What is one of your favourite projects, and why?

Nesjavellir is undoubtedly a special place for me. Currently, my favourite project is a pilot plant for fluid handling in Dieng, Indonesia, which Mannvit developed and operated in collaboration with experts from Iceland, Hungary, Indonesia, and New Zealand. This pilot plant simulates and monitors most features in a full-scale power plant, including a dual flash process, ORC process, and re-injection. Methods include the dosing of chemicals into single and 2-phase flow. The operation showed how necessary thorough preparation is when developing a geothermal plant. We now have the computing power to simulate a functioning, full-scale power plant with limited or even no technical risk. The benefits of this process are huge for such large infrastructure projects. I believe developers of geothermal and power companies planning to expand or optimize their capacity should consider this as a part of their process.

6. How do you see the long-term future for geothermal energy?

I think that geothermal energy has great potential. Various innovations have optimized and prioritized the utilization of lower temperature zones for direct use of energy. Furthermore, the untapped deep resources the Iceland Deep Drilling Project is exploring are still to be tapped and could provide us with much more energy from the same source than ever before.

Meet Mannvit at the World Geothermal Congress 2020+1, Oct. 24-27, 2021 at the Iceland Pavilion on the exhibition floors.