Iceland, sitting atop of the mid-Atlantic Ridge, is the world’s leader in geothermal resource, most of which is used for heating. Electricity generation is the second largest use with 665 MW generation capacity, comprising 29% of the country’s total electricity production, mostly consumed by aluminum manufacturing plants (Figure 1). Hydroelectric provides most of Iceland’s electrical power (72%) with most of the water supplied by glacial meltwater.

An interesting use of geothermal is to melt snow and ice during the winter in downtown Reykjavik where an extensive network of underground piping has been installed below streets, sidewalks and parking lots.

The Krafla geothermal power plant is supplied by several wells drilled on the flank of the active Krafla volcano (Figure 2) overlooking Lake Myvatn in northern Iceland. Construction of the power plant began in 1974 and was interrupted several times until earthquakes and volcanic activity declined in 1984. Steaming fumaroles and burping mud pits can still be observed today.