Description and economics of ‘hitaveita akranes og borgarfjardar” in Iceland

The geothermal district heating service—hitaveita—for the town of Akranes and the Borgarfjördur region in western Iceland is supplied mainly by large natural hot springs which produce 180 ls −1 of fluid at a temperature of 96°C. The fluids are transmitted to the heat load a distance of 62 km through the world's longest geothermal pipeline. Despite the high investment costs of the scheme and the recent low levels of oil prices, which have produced financial problems for operators, the scheme remains economically viable as a public service investment.