Mobile ORC demonstration

Lab Work

Name: Grásteinn
Location: Ölfus, Iceland
Project status: In exploitation
Owner: Kjartan Björnsson
Operator: Kjartan Björnsson
MEET Partner in contact with site: ICI

Key figures
Number of wells, drilling year: 1, 1995, depth increased 2010.
Year of comissionning: 1995
Production temperature, flow rate: 115 °C, 7.5 kg/s
Installed capacity (thermal ou electric power):
Capacity in term of housing unit equivalent: 3
Potential capacity added by MEET: 40kW

Grásteinn is located in south-west Iceland, close to the town of Hveragerði. One low-temperature geothermal well has been drilled in the area to provide heating for the surrounding buildings.

Within MEET materials will be tested at the site to determine a cost-effective solution for a heat exchanger. An ORC system will be demonstrated at the site which will allow the local households to produce enough electricity for their own use.

The geothermal wellhead at Grásteinn

Grásteinn is at the end of a 5.000 year old lava field (Hellisheiðarhraun b/c) and on top of a 10.000 year old lava field (Hellisheiðarhraun a). The site is a low-temperature geothermal field. From 1995 to 2008 the 440 m deep well was adequate for household heating but an earthquake drastically reduced the well’s output and it’s depth needed to be increased. This was done in 2010 and both increased the flow and temperature of the fluid coming from the well.

Map of the Hengill geothermal area in the vicinity of Grásteinn. 

The site is slightly east of Hveragerði.

To know more

Armansson, H., 2016: The fluid geochemistry of Icelandic high temperature geothermal areas. Applied Geochemistry, 66, pp. 14-64.

MEET will demonstrate Enogia’s ORC system at Grásteinn, with capacity for electricity generation up to 40 kW. This will enable the area to be electrically self-sufficient. The demonstration will show the potential of local elecricity generation for those who have access to low-temperature boreholes around the country.