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| Geothermal Mist - 2nd Place GRC Photo Contest, by Paweł Krok, Lubawka, Poland |
Along with free air cooling, the top attraction for data centers in Iceland is inexpensive power. While most of the power available in the country is from hydroelectric dams, Iceland is also home to some of the largest geothermal plants in the world.
Any data center operator needs a good understanding of the source of the power used in the facilities. Among the top concerns are reliability, long term stability and price, along with environmental impact. With this in mind, on my most recent visit to the country, I took the opportunity to visit two geothermal facilities, Hellisheiði power station, one of the world’s largest and, Svartsengi Power Station, operated by the only privately owned power producer in the country and one that has managed to turn the byproducts of power generation into a number of cottage industries.
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