Sustainable benefits from Iceland's commitment to a "green journey"

Baoquocte.vn. In the race for sustainable energy solutions, Iceland has many success stories, bringing practical benefits to its people, creating space for sustainable development.

Blue Lagoon geothermal power plant and amusement park, Iceland. (Photo: Getty Images)

Turn disadvantages into strengths

Today, nearly 100% of the electricity consumed in this small country comes from renewable energy, with 9 out of 10 homes heated directly by geothermal energy.

Iceland's fossil fuel transition story could inspire other countries looking to increase their share of renewable energy. Iceland is often referred to as the "land of fire and ice." It's the combination of its geology and its Arctic location that gives the country wide access to renewable energy.

The island lies on the Atlantic Ring of Fire between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, a volcanically active region that powers the country's geothermal systems.

Iceland also promotes the development of wind power. (Photo: Data Center News)

In addition, glaciers cover 11% of the country. Seasonal melting of ice feeds the glaciers, which flow from the mountains to the sea, contributing to Iceland’s hydroelectric resources. Furthermore, the country also has huge wind energy potential, which is being actively exploited. Over the next decade, Iceland’s largest wind power projects will be deployed in Búrfellslundur Park, where up to 30 wind turbines will be installed near the Vaðalda Mountains.

Today, Iceland's economy , from providing heat and electricity to individual households to meeting the needs of energy-intensive industries, is powered by green energy from hydroelectric and geothermal sources.

Hellisheidi geothermal power plant in Iceland. (Photo: Japan Times)

The country's clean energy brings many benefits to society, not just heating systems. This energy source is also widely used for melting snow on sidewalks, heating swimming pools, electric fish farming, greenhouse farming and food processing, as well as the production of cosmetics and goods.

Vision growing bigger and bigger

Why is Iceland so determined to deploy renewable energy? In fact, until the early 1970s, the majority of the country's energy consumption came from imported fossil fuels. Iceland was unable to adapt to the volatility of oil prices due to a number of crises that affected the world energy market. The country needed a stable and economically viable domestic energy source, given its unique geographical location on the edge of the Arctic Circle.

In the early 20th century, a farmer figured out how to use hot water seeping from the ground to develop a rudimentary geothermal heating system for his farm. Cities gradually built on his success, leading to more systematic exploitation of geothermal resources.

Iceland uses clean energy to defrost the city. (Photo: Getty Images)

Since then, drilling technology has improved, allowing Iceland to drill deeper to find hotter water, which can heat more homes. Larger projects have been developed with the deployment of geothermal district heating systems on a commercial scale. Early hydroelectric projects, similar to geothermal, were developed by industrious farmers to provide electricity for their farms. By 1950, 530 small and medium-sized hydroelectric plants had been built in Iceland, creating independent power systems scattered across the country.

To further encourage the use of geothermal energy, the Icelandic government has established a fund to support loans for people and businesses to conduct geothermal research and test drilling, thereby promoting the development of renewable energy, gradually replacing fossil energy. At the same time, Iceland also focuses on developing large-scale hydropower. The goal is to attract new industries to Iceland to diversify the economy, create jobs and establish a national power grid.

Simulation of a solar power plant in Earth orbit. (Photo: Alamy)

Not only that, Iceland is now also "cherishing" a plan to collect solar power from space. Iceland will become the first country in the world to collect solar power from a 30 GW plant in orbit to supply 1,500 - 3,000 households by 2030. Iceland's sustainability initiative Transition Labs is collaborating with domestic energy company Reykjavik Energyt and UK company Space Solar to develop a solar power plant outside the Earth's atmosphere.

The pilot plant will cost $800 million to design and build. It is expected to provide electricity at a quarter of the cost of nuclear power, at $2.2 billion per gigawatt, making it competitive with renewable energy sources on Earth.

Thus, it can be affirmed that Iceland's efforts over a long period of time have brought practical benefits to the people and economy of the country, becoming a model for many countries in the world to learn from.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/loi-ich-vung-ben-tu-no-luc-dan-than-cua-iceland-vao-hanh-trinh-xanh-302167.html