Mat á umhverfisáhrifum er mikilvægur þáttur í hverju jarðhitaverkefni. Allt frá fyrstu áætlunum til þess tíma að virkjun er byggð þarf að huga að umhverfisþáttum.
Helstu umhverfisþættir í jarðhitanýtingu eru:
Carbfix
The aim of the project is to bring together universities and research institutions in Iceland and in Europe to further develop Carbfix mineralisation of CO2 and to make it possible to use seawater for injection. Laboratory experiments, carried out partly by the University of Iceland, have already shown positive results under controlled conditions, but a high concentration of dissolved elements in seawater can hinder the formation of carbonates and create undesirable precipitates.
Orka náttúrunnar
H2S emissions from geothermal power plants create air pollution, similar to CO2, and the conversion / mineralisation / disposal of the gas into minerals is today the most desirable way to handle geothermal emissions. The aim of the project is to test and develop various geophysical methods that can be applied to the monitoring of mineral uptake of subsurface gas and to follow what is in fact happening beneath the surface.
