Iceland:

Up to 40 Geothermal Holes Planned in North Iceland

In a proposal on the land-use plan for the power plant Þeistareykjavirkjun in northeast Iceland, up to 40 geothermal boreholes are assumed. The proposal has been advertised at the district council of Þingeyjarsveit.

Courtesy icelandreview.com

The land-use plan is for an area which is 76.5 square kilometers in size of which the geothermal area earmarked for energy usage at Þeistareykir is 16 square kilometers. A power plant with the energy production capacity of 200 MWe is envisioned there,Morgunblaðið reports.

The land-use plan states that the power plant will unavoidably impact its environment given that the nature and landscape in the area are mostly untouched.

According to Einar Mathiesen, chairman of the energy company Þeistareykir ehf., there is as yet no projected date for the commencement of plant operations.

Such decisions must be taken in connection with planned sale of electricity to large-scale users in northeast Iceland, Einar explained. However, he is hopeful that a power plant will rise at Þeistareykir within a few years.