Svartsengi Power Plant

The power plant in Svartsengi is the first mixed geothermal power plant in Iceland, but it produces both electricity and hot water. Geothermal production began in 1976, and the power plant was later built in six phases over more than three decades. Construction is currently underway on the seventh phase, which includes both the expansion and renovation of the power plant. The capacity of the power plant in Svartsengi is 66 MW in electricity and about 200 MW in thermal energy.

Svartsengi takes its name from the ancient resting place for horses, which is the area to the east of the current Grindavíkurvega opposite the power plant. The power plant itself stands on lava that flowed in 1226 and is called Illahraun. To the south of the power plant is Þorbjarnarfell and to the east of it is Svartsengisfell, Selháls is in between and to the north of it is Baðsvellir.

Drilling for steam in the Svartsengis area began in mid-November in 1971, but in the first phase three wells were drilled, the deepest of which was about 400 meters. These wells were used for hot water production in a heat exchange station that was built in 1976. Immediately upon activation of these steam wells, the separator sea began to form a tailings lagoon that laid the foundation for the Blue Lagoon. Water was supplied to the first houses in Grindavík on November 6, 1976, and a year later the heating system reached Njarðvík.

The hot water on Suðurnesj is originally fresh water. The fresh water is deaerated, degassing is carried out on the water and it is heated with high-pressure steam in a heat exchanger. This is how it is pumped from HS Orku to consumers in Reykjanes.

The power plant in Svartsengi has been built in six phases.

• In 1976, geothermal production began in Svartsengi. Electricity production began in the spring of 1978 when a 1 MW turbine was commissioned for its own use in geothermal production. Soon after, another turbine of the same size was commissioned.
• In 1980, the second phase was completed where a 6 MW turbine was added and it was commissioned at the end of the year.
• In 1989, three Ormat turbines were added, producing a total of 3.6 MW.
• In 1993, four Ormat turbines were added, producing a total of 4.8 MW.
• In 1999, a 30 MW turbine was installed in power plant 5. It took a total of 21 years to reach 45 MW electricity production in Svartsengi.
• In 2008, the sixth phase in Svartsengi was put into use, but it included a 30 MW expansion and goes by the name energy plant 6.
• In 2023, construction began on the seventh phase of the power plant, power plant 7, but the project consists of expanding the power plant by a third along with significant improvements, which mainly relate to hot water production in the plant. Power plant 7 will replace power plants 3 and 4.