global geothermal news: october, page-38

Steaming Off
Posted By VIVIAN SONG
Posted 9 days ago

I'm in hot water, with mud on my face.

Figuratively, such a combination would be a disgrace. But on this occasion, I'm literally sitting in a hot mineral stew at the Blue Lagoon, a famous Icelandic spa, smeared in a white silica mud mask.

In the distance, smokestacks of the Svartsengi power plant, the source of my spa treatment, blow plumes of steam into the cold October wind.

The water is a byproduct of the geothermal power plant. After pumping lava-heated groundwater from 2 km below the surface, steam is used to generate electricity and the hot water to heat local homes.

Six million litres of the excess runoff, or geothermal brine, is then piped into the lagoon, a milky-blue water rich in "biostuff" such as minerals, silica and algae, and maintained at a temperature of between 37C-39C.

The murky water feels soft on the skin. It's been scientifically proven to help treat psoriasis patients and attracts visitors from around the world. It's perhaps the most colourful example of how Iceland has turned around in the last 40 years to maximize its natural resources and wean itself off oil.

Iceland gets 99% of its electricity from renewable sources: Kinetic energy from rivers and glaciers is harnessed to generate hydropower, and about 20% of the country is run on geothermal energy. In the winter, geothermal systems melt snow on sidewalks and driveways and heat 90% of homes.

Water is so clean it's piped straight into city taps without being treated or chlorinated. A pollution-free environment is said to be one of the reasons why life expectancy on the island of 300,000 is among the highest in the world and, it's said, to turn out some of the best looking women in the world.