Iceland Orders Five Geothermal Power Generation Plants

[jpak]

http://www.technologynewsdaily.com/node/9897

Reykjavik Energy (Orkuveita Reykjavikur) of Iceland has issued a turnkey order to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), in a consortium with Balcke-Dürr GmbH, to build five 45 MW (megawatt) geothermal power plants, 225 MW in total, in the suburbs of Reykjavik. Deliveries of the plants will begin in October 2010 and be completed by February 2012. MHI has previously received several orders for geothermal plants for Iceland and the latest order brings the total number of the plants to the country to 15.

The five geothermal plants newly ordered will be built in a geothermal field approximately 30 kilometers east of Reykjavik. As the government of Iceland is planning to invite aluminum refineries to this area, industrial-use electricity is expected to be in short supply in the future. The new power plants are intended to provide electricity to newly building refineries.

The steam turbines for the plants on order will be manufactured by MHI's Nagasaki Shipyard and Machinery Works, generators will be made by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, and Balcke-Dürr will fabricate cooling equipment. Mitsubishi Corporation is handling the trade particulars.

Iceland is located along the fissure where the Earth's crust separates into the Eurasian and North American plates, and as a country of numerous volcanoes. Iceland generates nearly all its electricity from renewable energy and uses virtually no fossil fuels such as coal and oil. Because water is available in abundant supply, the country generates 80% of its electricity by hydropower, and most of the remainder is produced by geothermal power.

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[Zachstar]

1. Sounds good! Much better than any MORE coal being burned.

[madokie]

2. I wonder how much more we could utilize this here in America for our base load

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/powerplants.html

[tinrobot]

3. A lot more.

All we need is the motivation to build more plants.