Ragna Björk is an energy engineer at the department of Research and Innovation at Reykjavík Energy. She has an M.Sc. degree in Sustainable Energy Engineering from the University of Reykjavík and a B.Sc. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Iceland. At Reykjavík Energy, she works mostly with the H2020 European Research projects, as well as specializing in the District Heating system in Hveragerði.

Abstract:

The Hveragerði high-temperature geothermal field is located on the eastern margin of the Western Rift Zone and on the western end of the South Icelandic Seismic Zone. The Hveragerði geothermal field has been used for district heating since the early 1920s. Due to rapid population growth, the need for stable thermal power has increased. In order to sustain the high service standard set by Veitur Utilities, a better understanding of the Hveragerði geothermal field is needed. To do so, a numerical model was developed using TOUGH2. The formation temperatures were used to calibrate the numerical model. Due to limited production data, the production was estimated using the population growth and the building types and sizes. The results from the numerical model indicate that more could be produced from the field, without compromising on sustainability.