Geothermal in Iceland

In 1997, the primary energy consumption quantity in Iceland was 254,100 tons equivalent unit of petroleum, among which 48.1% was supplied by geothermal resources, 17.6% by hydropower, petroleum once greatly depending upon to be imported decreasing to 31.9%, coal of 2.4%. The electricity powered by geothermal resources covered 6% of the total amount. It is estimated to exceed 15% until 2000. Heat supply was the largest project to directly utilize the geothermal resources, representing 77%. The budget for heat supply by geothermal energy only covered 20% to 30% of that of heat supply by fuel. The heat supply by geothermal energy in place of petroleum is estimated to save 110 million US dollars yearly that is 400 US dollars per person.

Kisilidian diatomite factory is one of the largest worldwide industrial consumers of steam derived from the geothermal resources. 85% of households are supplied with geothermal heating. In the capital city, Reykjavik, almost all of heat supply are utilized the geothermal resources. In 1970, about 50% of the populations took the benefits of the geothermal energy to supply heating. Among the consumption of heat supply, geothermal energy covered less than 45%, and except for a small quantity of hydropower, more than 50% depended upon imported petroleum. It was seldom seen in each country that the consumption of geothermal energy represented so larger percentages as in Iceland¡¯s total consumption of primary energy, so did in the percentages that geothermal-powered electricity covered among the whole country¡¯s amount in industrialized countries. To supply heating by utilizing the geothermal resources was of great value for demonstration