Iceland operates the Hellisheidi Power Station, one of the world’s largest geothermal power plants.
Hellisheidi is located near the Hengill volcanic system east of Reykjavík. Operated by ON Power, it produces both electricity and hot water for district heating. The combined heat-and-power design reflects Iceland’s unusually abundant geothermal resources and its extensive use of geothermal heat in buildings.
The station uses high-temperature geothermal fluids brought from underground wells. Steam drives turbines for electricity, while separated hot water is used in the capital region’s heating network. This arrangement makes geothermal energy useful beyond power generation alone.
Iceland is often described as being powered entirely by renewables, but that statement usually refers to electricity and heating rather than every form of energy. Road transport and aviation still use fossil fuels. Hellisheidi also hosts carbon-capture and mineralization work designed to store carbon dioxide in basalt.