Nesjavellir Power Plant
Nesjavellir Power Plant
Nesjavellir is a natural geothermal area associated with the Hengill volcano.
Hot water from deep in the ground rises to the surface in the form of hot springs, mud pools, and steam vents.
Nesjavellir geothermal plant, owned by ON Power, generates electricity and hot water using this geothermal water and steam.
The plant's output is 120 MW of electricity and 300 MW of thermal energy, providing 1800 liters of hot water per second. The power plant came on stream in 1990.
As the geothermal water is too rich in minerals it can’t be pumped directly to the home – instead, hot geothermal water is used to heat up cold fresh water via a heat exchange system.
At 80°C, the hot water is then pumped into the pipelines bringing it to the Reykjavik area.
Thanks to very good insulation it only loses about 2°C of heat on the way.
You can detour off the main road for a closer look at the area, but the plant itself is not open to visitors.
Like the rest of the Hengill area, Nesjavellir is popular for recreational activities and offers marked hiking and riding trails.