Photo Credit: inigo.txg
In Iceland, there is a well known Resort and Spa called the Blue Lagoon which owes its existence to Hitaveita Suðurnesja, who drilled for the geothermal fluid found in the region. The wells are as deep as 2,000 meters (~6,500′) and the extracted fluid attains a temperature of 243°C (~470°F.)

This geothermal fluid is then used to heat freshwater for central heating purposes and to produce electricity. The power plant provides about 17,000 people with hot water for central heating and about 45,000 people electricity.

The geothermal fluid, now a cooler temperature and essentially “waste water,” is piped directly to the Blue Lagoon where people enjoy relaxing in the warm aquamarine lagoon and benefit from its unique active ingredients: minerals, silica and blue green algae. The lagoon holds approximately six million liters of geothermal waste water at around 40°C (104°F.) The lagoon water supply is completely refreshed every 40 hours. Visitors from all over the world come to the Blue Lagoon for the waters positive effect on the skin, they bath, have mud treatments, and every other spa/resort type activity you can think of.

The combination of the power plant, the heating system, and the resort make very good use of the geothermal resource – who would have guessed that the waste product could not only be valuable, but is also beautiful.

Links:
Blue Lagoon Resort

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 15th, 2008 at 7:43 am and is filed under Conservation, Geothermal.