Construction work on the expansion and renovation of the Svartsengi geothermal power plant has been going well and it is almost on schedule, despite seven volcanic eruptions on the other side of Mt Sýlingarfell and Mt Þorbjörn since the first shovel was taken two years ago.
The total cost of the construction is estimated at around ISK 12 billion and the aim is to start the power plant in late 2025.
This is stated in an announcement from HS Orka.
Will replace two power plants
The new power plant will replace two older power plants, but renovations are also being made to various equipment related to hot water production.
The expansion is intended to increase the electricity generation capacity in Svartsengi by up to a third, while the current production capacity is around 66 MW.
Seventh geothermal power plant
“In everyday speech, the project is known as Svartsengi 7 (SVA7), which refers to the fact that this is the seventh geothermal power plant to be built in Svartsengi, but the first was put into operation in 1976, two years after Hitaveita Suðurnesja, the predecessor of HS Orka, was founded,” the announcement says.
HS Orka held a coffee meeting this week and invited everyone involved in the project. Most of the employees are from the main contractors Ístak, Rafal, and HD, but several other contractors and subcontractors are involved.
Verkís is designing the power plant, Lota is programming the control system and Ellert Skúlason EHF is responsible for the earthworks. The companies Dip Work, LBC, Stjörnublikk, Topplagnir, Ari Oddsson ehf, and JRS are also involved in this major project. Seven HS Orka employees work regularly to manage the project, while Strendingur is responsible for the construction and project management of the structures.