Ingunn Gunnarsdóttir, Leader of Innovation at ON Power, appears in the latest episode of the NexTech series, which explores how Iceland is responding to climate change through innovation and sustainable solutions.
The episode examines the impact of climate change in Iceland, where warming oceans, retreating glaciers, and unique geological conditions make the country among the first to register planetary change.
Special attention is given to ON Power’s Geothermal Park, where byproducts from energy production are being reimagined as inputs for new forms of value.
The episode highlights that electricity and heat are only the beginning; geothermal fluids, minerals, and gases are future chapters. Streams once treated as byproducts are now inputs for new industries. It is circularity applied to infrastructure, which seeks to make peace with nature.
In the interview, Ingunn explains that by applying innovation to operations, ON Power aims not only to maximize value but also to create it in harmony with nature, guided by sustainability.
She also emphasizes that such transformation requires rethinking long-established systems and mindsets. “You have to apply innovation to rethink something that has been the same for decades,” she says, noting that the process is challenging. By implementing circular thinking, ON Power is adding complexity to its operations but, in return, creating new economic value and opportunities.
Ingunn further underscores ON Power’s responsibility as a publicly owned company. Through innovation in energy utilization, the company is not only improving its operations but also creating jobs and supporting sustainable societal development.
The episode also features other Icelandic climate initiatives, including interviews with Maxim Willemse and Sara Lind Guðbergsdóttir from Climeworks, as well as Bergur Sigfússon and Edda Sif Pind Aradóttir from Carbfix, who discuss carbon capture and storage. Both Carbfix and Climeworks are part of ON Power’s Geothermal Park.
Here you can watch the episode – the discussion about ON Power begins at the seventh minute.
