The Krafla Magma Testbed (KMT) project – which seeks to create “the world’s first magma center” with the purpose of better exploiting geothermal energy in Iceland – began in 2017, but the announcement this year of the first drilling mission of the Krafla volcano, in northern Iceland, in 2026, is what has popularized this great work of engineering in the media.
And it is not surprising that it was surprising, because the tunnel they plan to build to access the magma chamber of the Krafla volcano is a very striking aspect of the project.
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With this tunnel it will be possible to take samples of the magma and carry out experimental research that pursues two fundamental objectives: predict volcanic disasters and explore new, more efficient ways of harnessing geothermal energy.
This first drilling will be followed by another planned for 2028, and it is expected that in 2030 the measurement and analysis facilities will be operational.
Geothermal is the natural energy stored inside the Earth. The temperature of the Earth’s crust increases with depth and the stored energy is often manifested directly through volcanic eruptions at the surface. For this reason, countries like Iceland and Japan, with high volcanic activity, have greater potential for using this type of energy.
It is a very versatile source of energy, because the heat can be used directly (in swimming pools and spas, in district heating systems, etc.), but it is also possible to use it to produce electricity.
The requirements for the direct use of geothermal energy can be very simple, and it can occur practically anywhere on the planet. In order to produce electricity with a geothermal energy source, it is necessary to have access to a geothermal field, whose requirements are more difficult to meet. It is not only important that geologically they are points of interest, it is also important that there are sufficient resources in the area to be able to exploit them.
Geothermal deposits can be classified according to their energy level (enthalpy). Those with high enthalpy can be used to produce electricity, as is the case of the Krafla volcano in Iceland, which they want to drill.
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Similar to nuclear power plant
The performance of this process is linked to the temperature of the source, in such a way that the higher the temperature, the greater the electricity production. It is in this aspect where the KMT project has its greatest interest, since temperatures of more than 900 ºC are reached in the magmatic chamber of the Krafla volcano.
However, there is a limitation: to take advantage of this energy source they have to develop new materials and sensors that are capable of withstanding very extreme temperatures.
Iceland is located in a privileged location for geothermal exploitation. More than 70 percent of the energy consumed in the country It is of geothermal origin. They have even achieved self-sufficiency in electricity production, mainly combining geothermal energy with hydroelectric generation.
Its capital, Reykjavík, has a heating system that runs on water heated by geothermal energy. Once it has been used to heat homes, it is circulated through the streets to melt the snow. However, this policy adopted by the Icelandic Government that promotes geothermal exploitation is relatively recent.
Until 1970, Iceland based its energy policy on fossil fuels. But in 1973, the Government began to draw up a strategic plan for the exploitation of geothermal energy, cAs a consequence of a strong crisis caused by the rise in oil prices.
Since then, Iceland has been simultaneously moving towards energy independence and decarbonization.
The Government’s plan was articulated in two phases: the first, between 1999 and 2003, to collect data, and the second, between 2004 and 2009, dedicated to the research and evaluation of geothermal resources.
The year 2009 was a crucial moment for the advancement of geothermal research, since that year the magma chamber of the Krafla volcano was drilled for the first time. Although the discovery was not planned, the drilling was part of a precursor project of the KMT, the Iceland Deep Drilling Project (IDDP). Both the IDDP and the KMT demonstrate the commitment of the Icelandic Government, which has earned Iceland the well-deserved title of “The Land of Fire and Ice”.
In other countries
The fundamental idea is to use a floating or submerged turbine to capture tidal energy, while capturing geothermal energy from the seabed.
The Chilean Government, in addition to being immersed in the use of its lithium reserves, is using the technique of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to reuse old oil wells and take advantage of geothermal energy sources.
In Spain, high enthalpy deposits are not very common and we do not have a great track record when it comes to geothermal projects.
However, there is a region in the country that, overcoming the distances, could become our Iceland. These are the Canary Islands, with recent volcanic activity (remember the eruption of the La Palma volcano) and geothermal resources with potential for exploitation.
The Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (Idae) has recently published a resolution of aid for these projects, with an allocation of 49 million euros.
Excavating a tunnel inside a volcano is a scientific and profitable option to get the clean and cheap energy we need from the earth. Reality, this time, surpasses fiction.
Academic director of the master’s degree in Renewable Energy at the International University of La Rioja (Unir).
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