UK plans to tap Iceland’s volcanic energy

Scheme would open up vast resources of clean, geothermal energy to Europe via proposed super grid.

By RTCC Staff

Iceland Geothermal
Iceland has been 100% reliant on geothermal electricity since 1970 and could soon be exporting it elsewhere in Europe. (Source: Flickr/ThinkGeoEnergy)

The UK is in negotiations with the Icelandic government to purchase geothermal energy, a British Minister has revealed.

Speaking to The Guardian, Energy Minister Charles Hendry said the two nations are developing plans to connect the Iceland and the UK via a high voltage cable.

“We are in active discussions with the Icelandic government and they are very keen,” said Hendry.

There are a number of plans already underway to connect continental Europe’s grid with the UK and North Africa.

Interconnection allows low-carbon energy such as solar from the Mediterranean and offshore wind from the North Atlantic to be used across Europe, evening out the weather-related intermittencies that some renewable technologies are prone too.

EU countries are committed to sourcing 20% of their energy from renewable sources by 2020.

Iceland, which is positioned over a gap between two of the earth’s plates, has derived all its electricity from geothermal sources since 1970.

The addition of its supplies to the European grid would provide a constant source of power, which Hendry said was more akin to nuclear power than some of the sporadic renewable sources.