Krafla Power Station
Encyclopedia
The Krafla Power Station is a geothermal
power station located near the Krafla Volcano
in
Iceland
. Since 1999, it produces 60 MW of energy.
Geothermal power
Geothermal energy is thermal energy generated and stored in the Earth. Thermal energy is the energy that determines the temperature of matter. Earth's geothermal energy originates from the original formation of the planet and from radioactive decay of minerals...
power station located near the Krafla Volcano
Krafla
Krafla is a caldera of about 10 km in diameter with a 90 km long fissure zone, in the north of Iceland in the Mývatn region. Its highest peak reaches up to 818 m and it is 2 km in depth. There have been 29 reported eruptions in recorded history....
in
Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
. Since 1999, it produces 60 MW of energy.
History
The following list shows the development timeline of the power station since 1974:- 1974: The first trial boreholeBoreholeA borehole is the generalized term for any narrow shaft bored in the ground, either vertically or horizontally. A borehole may be constructed for many different purposes, including the extraction of water or other liquid or gases , as part of a geotechnical investigation, environmental site...
s were drilled - 1975: Beginning of seismicSeismologySeismology is the scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through the Earth or through other planet-like bodies. The field also includes studies of earthquake effects, such as tsunamis as well as diverse seismic sources such as volcanic, tectonic, oceanic,...
and volcanic hazards threaten development - 1975: Sinking production wells and construction of power plant (despite seismic activity)
- 1977: Power station begins operations
- 1978: Power station begins power production
- 1984: Significant decline in seismic and volcanic hazards
- 1996: Installed second steam turbineSteam turbineA steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....
and beginning of additional drilling - 1999: Reached current production capacity, the target capacity
See also
- Geothermal power in IcelandGeothermal power in IcelandDue to the special geological location of Iceland, the high concentration of volcanoes in the area is often an advantage in the generation of geothermal energy, the heating and production of electricity...
- List of largest power stations in the world
- Renewable energy in IcelandRenewable energy in IcelandAbout 81 percent of total primary energy supply in Iceland is derived from domestically produced renewable energy sources. In 2007, geothermal energy provided about 66 percent of primary energy, the share of hydropower was 15 percent, and fossil fuels 19 percent...