Orka náttúrunnar
Orka náttúrunnar, also known as ON Power, is an Icelandic renewable-energy company supplying electricity, geothermal hot water, and electric-vehicle charging services.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Orka náttúrunnar, commonly branded as ON Power, is an Icelandic energy company headquartered in Reykjavík. It produces and sells electricity to households and industrial customers, supplies hot water for space heating, and has operated infrastructure intended to support the adoption of electric vehicles. Its activities are centered on Iceland's renewable-energy system, particularly the country's abundant geothermal resources, supplemented by hydropower. The company was established on 1 January 2014 as a subsidiary of Reykjavik Energy. Its creation followed the restructuring required by Icelandic electricity-market legislation, including Law No. 65/2003, which opened the electricity market to competition and separated electricity production and sales from the activities of the parent utility. Through this structure, ON Power became the operating brand for Reykjavik Energy's electricity-production and electricity-sales activities, including associated generating assets. ON Power's principal generation assets are the Nesjavellir and Hellisheiði geothermal plants, both located in the Hengill region of southwestern Iceland. These facilities produce both electricity and hot water for households and industrial users. The company also operates the Andakílsárvirkjun hydroelectric station in Borgarfjörður. The geothermal plants are important to the Reykjavík area, where approximately 99 percent of homes are space-heated with geothermal hot water. The combined rated output of the Nesjavellir and Hellisheiði facilities is stated as 423 MWe of electricity and 433 MWth of thermal energy, while Andakílsárvirkjun has a stated capacity of 8 MWe. The company has also been associated with Iceland's electric-vehicle charging infrastructure. In March 2014 it opened Iceland's first direct-current fast-charging stations for electric cars. The network supported CHAdeMO and CCS Type 2 rapid-charging standards and, at many locations, AC Type 2 charging. Later expansion connected locations in and around Reykjavík with sites across southern and northern Iceland. In 2016, Iceland's Ministry of Industry and Innovation allocated ISK 57.1 million over three years to support the installation of fourteen individual 50 kW DC charging stations. In 2017, additional chargers at Staðarskáli, Blönduós, and Varmahlíð helped complete a charging route between Reykjavík and Akureyri along Route 1. Geothermal generation also creates environmental-management challenges. The Hengill volcanic region naturally contains hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide, and development at Hellisheiði increased the concentration of some emissions associated with geothermal operations. ON Power has worked on reinjection methods for these gases. Its industrial-scale approach dissolves hydrogen sulfide in condensate water and injects it into the high-temperature geothermal reservoir, where water-rock reactions can mineralize the compound. Carbon-dioxide reinjection has likewise been associated with the company's emissions-management work, although the referenced material describes the industrial process as continuing to be tested. ON Power's traditional service area is Reykjavík and nearby communities in southwestern Iceland, but Icelandic electricity customers can choose among suppliers regardless of their physical location. The company's role therefore combines regional utility services with participation in a national electricity market. Its identity is closely tied to Iceland's public-utility structure, geothermal generation, district heating, renewable electricity, and infrastructure supporting lower-emission mobility.
History
Orka náttúrunnar was created on 1 January 2014 as a subsidiary of Reykjavik Energy. The establishment formed part of the reorganization of the parent utility's electricity operations in response to Icelandic electricity-market liberalization. Law No. 65/2003 effectively required the separation of electricity production and sales from other utility activities, and Reykjavik Energy transferred its electricity-generation and sales business, including power-plant operations, into the new subsidiary. The company's operating base is Reykjavík and the surrounding southwestern region of Iceland, although the national electricity market allows households and businesses to purchase electricity from suppliers outside their immediate locality. In addition to selling electricity, ON Power supplies hot water for space heating. Geothermal heating is a central feature of the Reykjavík area's energy system, with approximately 99 percent of housing receiving space-heating water from geothermal sources. ON Power's main generation facilities are the Nesjavellir and Hellisheiði geothermal plants in the Hengill region, an active volcanic area in southwestern Iceland. Nesjavellir began operating in 1990, while Hellisheiði began operating in 2006. Together, the plants are described as having a combined output of 423 MWe and 433 MWth. ON Power also operates the Andakílsárvirkjun hydroelectric station in Borgarfjörður, which began operating in 1947 and has a stated output of 8 MWe. The company inherited or succeeded to a longer electricity-generation history. The Elliðaár hydro station, commissioned in 1921, was operated by ON Power and previously by Reykjavik Energy until 2013. It was then decommissioned after Icelandic heritage-preservation requirements designated the station, its machinery, and pipelines as historic assets. A further area of development has been electric-vehicle infrastructure. In March 2014, ON Power opened Iceland's first DC fast-charging stations. The initial network supported the principal rapid-charging standards then used by electric cars in Iceland and was subsequently expanded. Funding announced by Iceland's Ministry of Industry and Innovation in December 2016 supported fourteen additional 50 kW DC stations. In May 2017, new sites at Staðarskáli, Blönduós, and Varmahlíð strengthened the charging corridor between Reykjavík and Akureyri. The company's geothermal operations have also involved emissions-control research and deployment. The Hengill area naturally releases hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide, while expanded geothermal production can increase local concentrations. ON Power has worked on reinjecting these substances into the geothermal reservoir. Its described industrial-scale method dissolves hydrogen sulfide in condensate water and returns it to the high-temperature reservoir, where geochemical reactions can mineralize it. The referenced account describes this work as continuing to be tested at Hellisheiði. Today, Orka náttúrunnar is best understood as a renewable-energy and utility brand rather than a conventional consumer-goods brand. Its business combines electricity production and retailing, geothermal heat supply, hydropower, electric-vehicle charging, and technical work related to the environmental performance of geothermal generation.
- 2017
Route 1 charging corridor expanded
[1]Additional fast chargers at Staðarskáli, Blönduós, and Varmahlíð connected the Reykjavík–Akureyri route more fully.
- 2014
Orka náttúrunnar established
[1]Reykjavik Energy established ON Power as a subsidiary on 1 January to hold and operate electricity production and sales activities.
- 2014
Iceland's first DC fast-charging network launched
[1]ON Power opened Iceland's first DC fast-charging stations for electric vehicles.
- 2013
Elliðaár station decommissioned
[1]The Elliðaár station was decommissioned after heritage rules designated the station and its associated infrastructure for historic preservation.
- 2006
Hellisheiði geothermal plant begins operation
[1]The Hellisheiði geothermal plant entered service in the Hengill region and later became a major ON Power generation site.
- 1990
Nesjavellir geothermal plant begins operation
[1]Nesjavellir started geothermal operations and became one of ON Power's principal electricity and hot-water production facilities.
- 1947
Andakílsárvirkjun begins operation
[1]The Andakílsárvirkjun hydroelectric station began operating in Borgarfjörður and remains an ON Power-operated generation asset.
- 1921
Elliðaár hydro station commissioned
[1]The Elliðaár hydro station entered service and later became part of the generation assets operated by Reykjavik Energy and subsequently ON Power.
Products and positioning
A publicly owned Icelandic renewable-energy brand built around geothermal electricity, geothermal district heating, hydropower, and infrastructure for electric mobility.
Electricity supply · 2014
Electricity
ON Power produces and sells electricity to Icelandic households, businesses, and industrial customers. Generation is primarily geothermal, supported by hydropower from the Andakílsárvirkjun station. Customers in Iceland can generally select an electricity supplier irrespective of their location, while ON Power's historical service concentration is in Reykjavík and southwestern Iceland.
District heating · 2014
Geothermal hot water
The company supplies geothermal hot water for space heating in Reykjavík and nearby areas. Its principal geothermal plants, Nesjavellir and Hellisheiði, produce both electricity and thermal energy. Geothermal district heating is a defining part of the regional energy system and serves the overwhelming majority of homes in the Reykjavík area.
Electric-vehicle charging · 2014
ON Power fast charging
ON Power operates a network of electric-vehicle charging stations in Iceland. The network began with DC fast chargers in 2014 and expanded to locations around Reykjavík and along major routes, including the corridor between Reykjavík and Akureyri. Sites have supported CHAdeMO, CCS Type 2, and in many cases AC Type 2 charging.
Environmental technology · 2014
Geothermal emissions management
At Hellisheiði, ON Power has worked on reinjection approaches for hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide associated with geothermal operations. The described method dissolves hydrogen sulfide in condensate water and injects it into the high-temperature reservoir, where water-rock reactions can mineralize it.
Brand decisions
2014
Separate electricity operations into a dedicated subsidiaryStrategyBackground
Icelandic electricity-market liberalization required organizational separation of electricity production and sales from other utility activities.
Action taken
Reykjavik Energy established Orka náttúrunnar on 1 January 2014 and moved its electricity production and sales activities, including power plants, into the subsidiary.
Aftermath
ON Power became the brand and operating entity for these electricity-related activities while remaining within the publicly owned Reykjavik Energy group.
2014
Launch a national electric-vehicle fast-charging networkProduct launchBackground
Iceland's geography and emerging electric-vehicle market created a need for rapid charging along urban and intercity routes.
Action taken
ON Power opened Iceland's first DC fast-charging stations and subsequently expanded coverage to multiple locations.
Aftermath
The network grew to include charging sites in the Reykjavík area and at locations across Iceland, with later public funding supporting further expansion.
2014
Test reinjection of geothermal emissionsStrategyBackground
Geothermal production at Hengill is associated with naturally occurring hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide, and expanded operations increased emissions concentrations.
Action taken
ON Power pursued industrial-scale reinjection of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide into the geothermal reservoir, including dissolving hydrogen sulfide in condensate water before injection.
Aftermath
The reinjection approach was being tested at Hellisheiði, with geochemical reactions expected to help mineralize hydrogen sulfide.
Sources2 sources
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