Feasibility of ocean heat extraction in Icelandic coastal waters : case study of Önundarfjörður

Abstract

The oceans are teeming with heat as an immense source of renewable energy. Seawater source heat pump system is a proven technology for resurrecting heat from the seawater as a source of heat. The system has attracted attention as a renewable energy solution technique for the countries where heating is essential throughout the year. As the most efficient form of technology, the system is able to extract heat from cold seawater for energy utilization and space heating. However, extracting large amounts of heat from the cold seawater is a challenge, and hardly feasible if the seawater temperature is only a few degrees above the freezing point. Iceland, as a cold country with a high demand for space heating, is surrounded by the cold seawater with the Arctic and the Atlantic Ocean sources. This thesis assesses the feasibility of ocean heat extraction in Icelandic coastal waters through a case study of Önundarfjörður, a fjord located in Westfjords region of Iceland. In order to acquire better insight about the heat source, this research collected one year field measurements and carried out numerical simulations of oceanographic parameters. The results show that the seawater temperature in the research area is generally higher than 1 °C and rarely exceeds 10 °C. The simulations indicate that the fjord is tidal dominated with higher current velocity which prominently flanks alongshore during ebb. The outcome reveals that extraction of the heat via seawater source heat pump system is theoretically feasible from Önundarfjörður. This research also presents suitable locations for extracting heat from the fjord.