It may sound like the beginning of a disaster movie, but Iceland could make scientific history by becoming the first country to drill into a volcano’s magma chamber.
In 2026, Iceland’s Krafla Magma Testbed (KMT) project will construct a borehole to the magma chamber at a volcano called Krafla in the country’s north-east.
The chamber, which is between one and two miles below the surface, will unleash unlimited geothermal energy to power Iceland’s homes and buildings.
Despite magma’s extreme heat – between up to 2,372°F (1,300°C) – experts insist it’s safe and won’t trigger another disastrous volcanic eruption in the country.
‘It’s the first journey to the centre of the Earth,’ said project manager Björn Þór Guðmundsson.
In 2026, the Krafla Magma Testbed (KMT) project will start constructing a borehole to the magma chamber at a volcano called Krafla in the country’s north-east. The chamber, which is nearly three miles below the surface, will unleash unlimited geothermal energy to power Iceland’s homes
French volcanologists Katia Krafft wearing an aluminized suit standing near a lava burst at Krafla volcano
Iceland already taps geothermal energy – heat that is generated within the Earth – to drive its turbines and generate electricity.
Icelandic geothermal power plants drill wells more than a mile down to extract hot water vapour, which is separated into liquid water and steam in so-called separators.
The steam is then run through turbines that turn to produce the electricity, but this captures only a fraction of the energy that’s available.
What’s more, the geothermal energy is relatively cool compared with steam at a fossil fuel power plant – about 482°F and 842°F (250°C and 450°C), respectively.
‘It’s quite inefficient at those low temperatures so there’s an interest in trying to develop super-hot geothermal,’ John Eichelberger, a volcanologist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks told New Scientist.
Instead, tapping into the higher temperatures from the magma chamber could lead to a more powerful energy supply.
‘The purpose of producing energy from near magma super-hot geothermal is that these wells are up to an order of magnitude more powerful in terms of producing energy than conventional wells,’ Guðmundsson told MailOnline.
‘We can drill one well instead of 10 for the same power output.’
Krafla is one of the most active volcanic areas in the world. It’s located on top of a tectonic plate boundary called the Mid Atlantic Ridge, where the North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate meet
Krafla, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, erupted nine times between 1975 and 1984 (the year of its last eruption). Aerial view of Krafla (mountain) and Krafla caldera in 2008
Krafla, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, erupted nine times between 1975 and 1984 (the year of its last eruption).
At the time, scientists were able to pinpoint the location of Krafla’s magma chamber beneath the caldera using seismometers – about 1.2 miles (2km) down.
Since the late 1970s there’s been a geothermal plant at Krafla run by Landsvirkjun, Iceland’s main power company.
It has 33 bore holes that tap geothermal energy at the site, but none go down to the actual magma chamber.
Drilling down to the depth of the chamber isn’t the issue, as other companies around the world are attempting much larger boring lengths.
Rather, the issue is what will happen to drilling equipment once it reaches the magma chamber.
In 2009, as part of the Iceland Deep Drilling Project, experts unintentionally drilled into a magma reservoir at Krafla.
But drilling had to cease after it reached 6,890ft (2,100 metres) deep when the drill struck magma and corroded the steel in the casings of the well.
Landsvirkjun used the borehole for nine months to generate electricity but temperatures at the surface got too high and they had to cool it down with water – leading to dramatic billows of dark smoke.
But no-one was hurt and the episode proved to experts that it was safe to drill into magma without causing an eruption – and possible with the right tools.
‘One of the main goals of KMT is to develop wells with the right materials that can withstand these conditions,’ Guðmundsson told MailOnline.
Since the late 1970s there’s been a geothermal plant at Krafla run by Landsvirkjun, Iceland’s main power company (pictured)
In 2026, the KMT project will break ground close to this original borehole as it starts the journey to the chamber – but it could take two months to get there.
If successful, scientists also want to add sensors into the magma chamber that would take pressure readings, which could improve forecasts of eruptions.
However, that would involve developing sensors that can withstand the intense heat, pressure and acidity of magma.
Other experiments later in the decade could be injecting fluids into the chamber to alter the pressure and temperature, and measure the results.
Insights gained could be applicable to other active volcanoes around the world, including Italy’s ‘supervolcano’ Campi Flegrei.
Near Naples, southern Italy, Campi Flegrei has become weaker and more prone to rupturing, making an eruption more likely, a study revealed last year.