Iceland invites India to tap clean energy and carbon storage partnership

Iceland wants to partner with India on clean energy and carbon storage projects. Jóhann Páll Jóhannsson, Iceland's Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate, stated during a visit to New Delhi that his country is ready to help India expand its geothermal energy sector and manage any regulatory hurdles.

Energy Plans

Iceland generates all of its electricity from renewable sources, splitting 70 percent from hydropower and 30 percent from geothermal power. India currently holds an estimated geothermal potential of about 10.6 gigawatts. Mr. Jóhannsson pointed out that India is committed to growing this sector through the National Policy on Geothermal Energy. Furthermore, Iceland is working on next-generation geothermal technology that involves drilling deeper into the earth to potentially multiply the output of each borehole by about ten times.

Carbon Capture

Beyond geothermal energy, the Icelandic minister pointed to opportunities for deploying Carbfix, a tried and tested technology that turns captured carbon dioxide into stone. He suggested this method could benefit heavy industries in India, such as cement and steel. While Iceland has the technical expertise, the country is small and needs to scale up, making a partnership with a large nation like India mutually beneficial.

Context

Geothermal energy uses natural heat from deep inside the earth to generate electricity and provide heating. Carbon capture and storage technologies aim to trap industrial emissions before they enter the atmosphere to help reduce global warming.