ON POWER OHF

Their core work

ON Power (a subsidiary of Reykjavik Energy) is an Icelandic geothermal energy utility that operates geothermal power plants and district heating systems in the greater Reykjavik area. In H2020 projects, they contribute real-world operational data, field testing infrastructure, and deep expertise in geothermal plant operations — from drilling and reservoir management to emission control and heat exchange optimization. Their involvement as a third party across all five projects indicates they serve as an industrial validation site, providing access to live geothermal installations where research concepts are tested under actual operating conditions.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

ON Power's early H2020 involvement (2018-2019) focused on core geothermal challenges: emission control, carbon mineralisation, ORC efficiency, and scaling — the operational pain points of running geothermal plants. From 2019 onward, their scope broadened significantly into integrated energy systems (solar thermal, distributed PV, EV charging, energy communities) and data-driven operations (machine learning for drilling optimization). This trajectory shows a utility moving from purely geothermal operations toward becoming a multi-vector energy provider with digitalized operations.

ON Power is evolving from a traditional geothermal operator toward integrated smart energy and AI-assisted operations, making them increasingly relevant for projects combining renewables with digital technologies.

How they like to work

ON Power participates exclusively as a third party, meaning they provide infrastructure access, operational data, and field validation rather than leading research activities. With 90 unique partners across 19 countries, they maintain a broad European network despite their specialized role. This pattern is typical of a large utility that opens its facilities to researchers — working with them means access to real geothermal infrastructure and decades of operational knowledge.

Extensive network of 90 partners across 19 countries, built through five geothermal and energy projects. As an Icelandic utility, they bridge Nordic geothermal expertise with broader European energy research communities.

What sets them apart

Iceland is one of the few places on Earth where geothermal provides baseload electricity and district heating at scale, and ON Power operates this infrastructure daily. This gives them something most research partners cannot offer: a living laboratory for geothermal technologies under real production conditions. For any consortium needing industrial validation of geothermal concepts — from carbon mineralisation to advanced heat exchangers to drilling AI — ON Power provides the testing ground and operational reality check.

Highlights from their portfolio

• GECO
  Addresses the critical challenge of geothermal emissions through CO2 mineralisation and carbon capture — directly relevant to climate targets and geothermal sustainability.
• OptiDrill
  Their most recent project and a clear signal of digital transformation, applying machine learning to optimize geothermal drilling — a major cost driver in the industry.
• GeoHex
  Tackles the persistent industrial problem of scaling and heat exchanger fouling in geothermal systems through advanced surface engineering.