Krafla - Electricity generation from an active volcano

Krafla - Electricity generation from an active volcano

Krafla - Electricity generation from an active volcano
Sigurdur Markusson – Landsvirkjun
Iceland Geothermal Congress 2016
“Krafla is one of
Iceland's most
spectacular and
most active
volcanoes”
VolcanoDiscovery.com
Krafla central volcano

Active for the past
200.000 years

High potential for
large scale geothermal
utilization

Government of
Iceland agrees on
building a 60 MW
geothermal plant at
Krafla
Krafla Fires

Eruption 1975-84

Gas injection due to
degassing magma

Acid fluid damaged
the hottest wells

Only one of the 30
MW turbines installed
Well KG-4 in Krafla (1977)
Mynd af Kröflu
úr lofti

Stóra mynd frá
tedda
The Krafla Plant
Krafla today

Second turbine installed
in 1998

Double flash

2x 30 MW Mitsubishi
Skýrsla TH acid
wells
Acid wells in Krafla

Steam from the
hottest/deepest part
of the system

Most powerful wells
in Krafla > 30 MW

Not been utilized long
term due do corrosion
and scaling
IDDP-1

Planned for 4-5 km

Drilled into magma at
2.1 km depth

Liner inserted in the
lowest 130 meters

Highly productive
IDDP-1 fluid

450°C at 138 bar

Highly superheated „dry“
steam (3200 kj/kg)

Hydrogen chloride (HCl)

Condensate pH 2.5-3

Fluid not corrosive when
well is flowing
IDDP-1
Origin of the acidic fluid
IDDP-1 was the first well producing from the superheated zone only
Future well design in Krafla
Traditional well in Krafla
Deep cased well (IDDP-1)
180-220°C
Scaling & corrosion
water
Dry steam
250-350°C
Water and steam
Superheated zone
Superheated steam
Superheated steam
400-500°C
Further work in Krafla

One of the most interesting geothermal fields/volcano
in the world

Next step in geothermal utilization – near magma
resources

EIA for 150 MW

Landsvirkjun will continue drilling for superheated
steam in Krafla when we are convinced that the
technical issues have been solved (high risk)

International collaboration needed to continue this
work.

KMDP
Krafla – next steps


Further drilling of wells like IDDP-1 into the
superheated zone

Cased down to 1800 meters

Treat fluid with wet scrubbing before entering the steam
gathering system
Superheated Reservoir size (>340°C) 4-8 km3