Restoration of a natural stream channel presented at the Fagþing Conference

Magnea Magnúsdóttir, Environmental and Land Reclamation Manager at ON Power, delivered the address “Restoration of a Natural Stream Bed on Hellisheiði” at the Samorka Annual Congress 2026 last week, where she discussed a highly interesting and innovative project by ON Power.

The project involves, as the title of the presentation suggests, restoring the natural channel of a stream near the Hellisheiði Geothermal Power Plant. Over time, stream beds in the area have been altered due to construction work for ON Power's plants. The watercourses have become constrained and have begun to affect the operations of businesses and infrastructure, given the extensive development that has taken place in ON's Geothermal Park on Hellisheiði.

In her presentation, Magnea reviewed how the project was undertaken with nature-based solutions as a guiding principle. This is the first time a comparable project has been carried out in Iceland in this manner, and ON Power utilized the assistance of specialists from Scotland for the design and construction of the new stream bed. Among other methods, so-called rock rolls were utilized, a technique that helps manage flow, reduce erosion, and create a more natural aquatic environment.

“The project clearly demonstrates how the operation of critical infrastructure can be integrated with an ambitious environmental policy. By working with nature rather than against it, we can both increase safety in our areas and leave the environment in a better state,” Magnea said in her address.

The project on Hellisheiði aligns well with ON Power's goals regarding the responsible utilization of resources and its strong emphasis on proper site restoration and land reclamation around ON Power's plants.

Here you can watch a video about the rock rolls and an interview with Magnea.