IS-HG Europe Updated 2026-08-20

Iceland (Hengill Volcanic Zone) Geothermal Screening

Geothermal screening assessment identifies 41.8% prospective land reaching 185°C by 5.5 km depth in Iceland (Hengill Volcanic Zone).

Key Geothermal Metrics

Land Reaching 185°C by 5.5 km High Potential
41.8%

Primary baseline screening criterion

Shallowest Depth to 200°C Very Shallow
1.9 km

Minimum drill depth for high enthalpy

Peak Temperature at 5 km Depth Superhot
342.3 °C

Maximum modeled temperature

Typical Geothermal Gradient Volcanic / Rift
74.5 °C/km

Average to 5 km depth (15°C surface)

Grid Connectable Prospective Area Moderate Distance
65.2%

Hot territory within 50 km transmission

Stored Heat In-Place (3–7 km) 1 ZJ = 10²¹ Joules
125.4 ZJ

Thermal volume in place (>80°C baseline)

Depth vs. Temperature Matrix (% Land Area)

Proportion of national territory exceeding target isotherm at specified depth

0.1° Inversion Grid
Isotherm 3.0 km 4.0 km 5.0 km 6.0 km 7.0 km 8.0 km
150°C 17.1% 33.3% 56.6% 89.1% 97.1% 100%
175°C 19.4% 39.6% 51.3% 65.9% 99% 100%
200°C 11.7% 31.1% 52.5% 64.5% 83.8% 100%
225°C 11.3% 25.7% 42.2% 62.5% 68.2% 94.1%
250°C 10.5% 24.3% 34.3% 45.3% 60% 71.9%

4-Stage Geothermal Resource & Infrastructure Funnel

Progressive screening from gross national territory down to grid-connected & populated prospective zones

1 Whole country
540 km² 100%
2 Reaches 185°C by 5.5 km
226 km² 41.8%
3 ...and within 50 km transmission
147 km² 27.3%
4 ...and within 100 km town
128 km² 24%

Geological Setting & Subsurface Parameters

Lithology, basement thickness, stress and thermal boundary constraints

Median Depth to 200°C Isotherm 4.9 km
Best 10th Percentile Depth to 200°C 2.4 km
Median Temperature at 5 km Depth 228 °C
Best 10th Percentile Temp at 5 km 292.8 °C
Median Sediment Thickness 0.3 km
Sediment / Hard-Rock Well Share 11%
Territory Under 1 km Sediment Cover 89.1%
Lithostatic Pressure at 5 km Depth 141.8 MPa
Moho Crustal Discontinuity Depth 28 km
Thermal Lithosphere Thickness 66.2 km
Curie Temperature Isotherm Depth 12.2 km
Model Temperature Spread Uncertainty (200°C) ±1.4 km

Transmission Grid & Demand Colocation

Infrastructure interconnectivity and urban power demand proximity

High-Voltage Transmission Network Length 661 km
Land Area Within 25 km of Grid 54.5%
Land Area Within 50 km of Grid 65.2%
Land Area Within 100 km of Grid 73.1%
Average Proximity to Nearest Substation / Line 13.5 km
Urban Centers (>10,000 Population) 5
Total Urban Population 1 M
Prospective Resource Colocated Near Demand (>1M Pop) 65.8%

Target Sensitivity & Deep EGS Upside

Sensitivity of prospective resource area to adjusted depth and temperature thresholds

150°C Baseline at 5.5 km 66.9% of national territory reaches 150°C at 5.5 km depth
185°C Baseline at 7.5 km 75.2% of national territory reaches 185°C at 7.5 km depth

Global Peer Benchmarking (vs. 278 Assessed Jurisdictions)

Relative ranking distribution of Iceland (Hengill Volcanic Zone) across 11 standardized geothermal indicators

Iceland (Hengill Volcanic Zone) Rank Global Peer Spread
Shallowest 200°C depth
1.9 km Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 87th percentile
Peak temp at 5 km
342.3 °C Top 10%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 97th percentile
Prospective land area (>185°C at 5.5 km)
41.8% Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 70th percentile
Stored heat in-place (3-7 km)
125.4 ZJ Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 66th percentile
Typical geothermal gradient
74.5 °C/km Top 10%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 99th percentile
Grid proximity (<50 km)
65.2% Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 65th percentile
Thin sediment coverage (<1 km)
89.1% Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 89th percentile
Curie isotherm depth
12.2 km Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 73th percentile
Moho crustal thickness
28 km Lower 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 50th percentile
Model temperature uncertainty spread
±1.8 km Middle 50%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 73th percentile
Urban demand colocation
77.9% Top 25%
P0 (Lowest) P50 (Median) P100 (Highest) • 84th percentile
Asset-Level 3D Simulation Available

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Analytical Geothermal Assessment & Discussion: Iceland (Hengill Volcanic Zone)

Subsurface thermal interpretation, model uncertainty, infrastructure colocation, and resource quality analysis

Resource Overview

Geothermal assessment for Iceland (Hengill Volcanic Zone) indicates hotspot_oceanic geological controls governing subsurface heat transport, yielding 41.8% of land area reaching the baseline target of 185°C at 5.5 km depth.

Uncertainty & Model Variance

Thermal inversion across Iceland (Hengill Volcanic Zone) shows consistent model convergence with constrained standard deviations across deep crustal layers.

Grid & Infrastructure Colocation

National electrical transmission coverage positions approximately 65.2% of prospective geothermal ground within 50 km of existing high-voltage corridors.

Geological & Basement Setting

Subsurface lithology is characterized by hotspot oceanic dynamics with median sediment thickness of 0.3 km and crustal thickness of 28 km.

Stored Heat Volume

Accessible thermal energy in place between 3 km and 7 km depth above 80°C totals 125.4 Zettajoules (ZJ).

Peer Comparison

Benchmarked against 237 global assessment jurisdictions, Iceland (Hengill Volcanic Zone) demonstrates competitive positioning across heat flow, infrastructure, and basement competence indicators.

Target Sensitivity Analysis

Screening at 150°C baseline at 5.5 km increases prospective territory, demonstrating substantial deep EGS resource headroom.

Screening Methodology, Parameters & Limitations

This screening assessment for Iceland (Hengill Volcanic Zone) is generated from Geothermal Radar Data Pack 2026.1 utilizing global 0.1° hex-grid thermal inversion across 6 model cells (land area: 540 km²). Baseline prospective criterion is defined as reaching 185°C at or above 5.5 km depth with surface temperature normalized to 15°C.

  • Screening estimates represent regional-scale heat in place and do not replace localized 3D seismic or exploratory drilling.
  • Model uncertainties expand in regions with sparse deep boreholes and complex thrust fault kinematics.
  • Grid proximity indicators reflect line-of-sight distance to high-voltage transmission and do not account for local substation thermal capacity.
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