RENEWABLES
‘ Essentially , IDDP-1 is the world ’ s first magmaenhanced geothermal system , the first to supply heat directly from molten magma ’
The Nesjavellir geothermal power station is just one of several across Iceland
for a number of different purposes , both on an industrial and consumerfacing level . While the majority of usage is comprised of electricity generation ( 40 percent ) and space heating ( 43 percent ), others such as fish farming and snow melting remain vitally important .
That wasn ’ t always the case , though . Until the early twentieth century , geothermal in Iceland was used exclusively for bathing , laundry , and cooking . While no longer exclusive , those facets of life are still powered by geothermal in an almost entirely sustainable manner . Heating greenhouses is still a vital part of Iceland ’ s food economy , since geothermal is used to disinfect the soil .
Other direct utilizations include the manufacture of seaweed , production of salt , and cooking .
28 September 2014