Geothermal System is the World's First to Supply Heat Directly from Molten Magma

How ironic is it that Iceland is a leading researcher in the realm of geothermal resources? They've engineered the world's first geothermal system that supplies heat directly from molten magma.

The experimentation began back in 2009 when the Icelandic Deep Drilling Project (IDDP) accidentally encountered magma while drilling a borehole at Krafla, a caldera located in northeast Iceland. This borehole, otherwise known as IDDP-1, was the first drilling conducted by the IDDP in a search for high-temperature geothermal resources.

"Drilling into magma is a very rare occurrence anywhere in the world," said Mr. Wildred Elders, a professor emeritus of geology at the University of California, Riverside, and editor of January's issue of Geothermics. "And this is only the second known instance; the first one, in 2007, being in Hawaii."

And with only the second occurrence of drilling into magma comes the first engineered geothermal system to supply heat directly from it.

The heating process was achieved by cementing a steel casing into the well closest to the site of the magma. And over time, the hole heated slowly, allowing the flow of superheated steam exceeding temperatures of 450 C. But unfortunately, the IDDP-1 hole had to be closed down due to the reparations of surface equipment.

However, the discoveries and breakthroughs unearthed at IDDP-1 remain of paramount importance for various reasons. Not only was the IDDP able to drill into the molten magma and control it, but they also set the world record for geothermal heat through the emissions of high-pressure steam while successfully demonstrating that such a geothermal system is achievable.

The next step is to either repair the IDDP-1 hole or drill a new, similar hole in order to further advance the geothermal breakthrough.

"In the future, the success of this drilling and research project could lead to a revolution in the energy efficiency of high-temperature geothermal areas worldwide," Elders said.