Reykjavik Energy

The Reykjavik Energy team is the leading geothermal energy company in Iceland and is recognized as a world leader in providing clean energy. The REN team consists of 30 researchers with specialisations including Geochemistry, Engineering and Geothermal Technology.

The research department consists of 5 Researchers, one PhD Student and two Technical Staff. The research department monitors two of the largest geothermal power plants in Iceland as well as the largest district heating system in the world.

Role

Responsible for training and research on mineral scale formation in geothermal environments and access to the large scale pilot system facilities and samples that are necessary for the validation of the laboratory data at the industrial level.

Key Competences and Facilities

The REN team operates two high temperature geothermal power plants. The power plants provide the opportunity to study scaling reactions in geothermal brines related to pumping, rapid cooling and adiabatic boiling from 4 - 200°C. Furthermore, REN has recently set up experimental facilities to simulate the most important processes associated with geothermal power utilization and will interface a lot of the real-world training of various ERSs seconded to Iceland

Key Persons:

Dr. Einar Gunnlaugsson, Team Leader

Geochemist specialised in fluid chemistry of geothermal waters and in borehole technology.

Dr. Bergur Sigfússon

Soil Scientist, specialised in experimental geochemistry and surface complexation modelling and who will be the main supervisor of the ESR hosted by REN.

Mr. Ingvi Gunnarsson

Geochemist specialised in silica polymerization and scaling processes

Mr. Einar Örn Þrastarson

Field and process sampling

Ms. Selma Olsen

Laboratory Technician in charge of aqueous elemental analysis

Dr. Gretar Ívarsson

Volcanologist specialised in process analysis.

Previous Training Programs and Research:

REN has hosted graduate students for training purposes through collaboration with ETH Zurich, Switzerland and Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands. The REN team has trained 1 Postdoctoral Fellow and 3 PhD Students during secondments from both Icelandic and other EU universities and private sector organisations in the last 5 years.