Iceland lifts the lid on superhot geothermal energy at the Arctic Circle assembly

“The same spirit that once sent humanity to the Moon must now guide us to the depths of the Earth.”

That’s how Iceland’s Minister of the Environment, Energy and Climate, Jóhann Páll Jóhannsson, boldly described his country’s next ambitious scientific effort: reaching superhot geothermal energy.

Speaking to Arctic Today at the Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavík, Jóhannsson said Iceland will accelerate its next deep-drilling venture the Iceland Deep Drilling Project, or IDDP by a year, with the government stepping in as a strategic partner to industry for the first time. At the assembly, a cooperation declaration for the project’s third phase IDDP-3 was signed between the Ministry of the Environment, Energy and Climate and the energy companies Landsvirkjun, Reykjavík Energy and HS Orka.

“This has been a bit dormant,” he said, “but now there are plans to accelerate the next deep drilling project.”

The project aims to tap extreme heat deep below the Earth’s surface, where temperatures can be so high they could yield ten to twelve times more energy per well than current geothermal systems.

“If this project succeeds, it will be possible to unleash much, much more productive boreholes than ever before,” Jóhannsson said.

The decision signals Iceland’s renewed determination to lead in geothermal energy after years in which, by the minister’s own admission, the government had become too passive.

“It’s dangerous to become complacent,” he said. “Things don’t happen by themselves. We are going to take a step for this century when it comes to geothermal utilization.”

Superhot geothermal, while still experimental, could change the scale of clean energy. Instead of using steam or hot water near the surface, drilling would reach zones where rock begins to melt and water turns into a dense, high-energy fluid. At those depths— often more than 4 to 5 kilometers underground—a single well could produce many times the power of conventional geothermal systems. It is an opportunity to generate fossil-fuel levels of energy output without the carbon. Typical geothermal wells tap underground fluids at around 200–300°C, while superhot geothermal systems target zones exceeding 400°C,.

To make that leap, Jóhannsson said the state must take a far more active role. A bill now before the Icelandic parliament Alþingi would simplify licensing and speed up permitting for drilling geothermal wells, removing the need for separate approvals for each operation. The government also plans to expand the Geothermal “Levels the Playing Field” grant system and to form a steering group with Iceland’s main geothermal utilities to oversee the IDDP partnership.

“We are actively simplifying regulations,” he said, “and the government wants to see this development materialize quickly in the coming years.”

The strategy is being formalized through Iceland’s new Geothermal Roadmap to 2050, a national plan to strengthen innovation, competitiveness and research while expanding geothermal’s role in heating, electricity and industrial production. The roadmap’s message, Jóhannsson said, is that Iceland must once again act with the foresight of the generations who built its district heating system and energy infrastructure in the 20th century.

Beyond its technical ambitions, the minister sees geothermal as a tool for both energy security and social equality. Iceland’s electricity demand has grown rapidly in recent years with population and industry, while new supply has lagged. The IDDP could ease pressure on resources by drawing vastly more energy from existing fields. But Jóhannsson also framed geothermal as a way to “level up” regional living standards by extending low-cost heating and stable power to rural areas while supporting new industries. Those industries include energy-intensive data centers as well as greenhouse agriculture, aquaculture and advanced manufacturing that rely on abundant, steady baseload power.

“We are stepping on the gas,” he said, “using geothermal both as a tool to equalize living standards and to promote economic growth and value creation.”

The IDDP announcement comes as global interest in superhot geothermal rises. The U.S. Department of Energy’s FORGE program in Utah, Italy’s Enel group and New Zealand’s national energy labs are all exploring similar ultra-deep wells. Despite its small population, Iceland has managed to position itself at the vanguard of innovation in renewable energy. Jóhannsson, however, emphasizes that collaboration is key to success.

“Iceland can certainly export knowledge when it comes to geothermal energy, while others are teaching us so much,” he said.