Located on the picturesque Hengill volcanic plateau, just a 20-minute drive from Reykjavik, the Hellisheiði power plant is one of the largest geothermal installations in the world. Launched in 2006, it became a symbol of Icelandic energy independence. This plant performs a cogeneration function (CHP) – utilizing steam reaching temperatures up to 300°C, extracted from a depth of over 2000 meters, to drive electric turbines, and then residual heat serves to heat water for the country's capital heating network.
Hellisheiði is, however, something more than just a power plant – it is a global laboratory for fighting climate change. It is here, in cooperation with scientists, that the breakthrough CarbFix technology was implemented. Geothermal, although clean, involves small emissions of volcanic gases (including CO2). At Hellisheiði, carbon dioxide is captured, mixed with water (creating basically sparkling water) and injected deep underground into basalt rocks. Unlike traditional CO2 storage, which takes thousands of years, the CarbFix method mineralizes the gas in less than two years, permanently turning it into stone (calcite).
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The facility is also a powerful tourist and educational hub. The futuristic architecture of the main building houses a technology exhibition allowing visitors to look deep into geological processes. The power plant is constantly developing – currently, advanced work is underway there on "green hydrogen" production using cheap electricity and geothermal water, which is to help decarbonize Icelandic heavy transport.
Due to its location at the junction of tectonic plates, Hellisheiði must deal with extreme conditions, including seismic activity. Engineers developed unique drilling methods there in very high-temperature zones (so-called IDDP - Iceland Deep Drilling Project), where attempts were made to drill directly into the magma chamber to obtain supercritical fluid – the "Holy Grail" of geothermal energy.