Ingunn discusses innovation in an international segment about climate solutions

Ingunn Gunnarsdóttir, innovation leader at ON Power, appears in the latest episode of the NexTech series, which focuses on how Iceland responds to climate change with innovation and sustainable solutions.

The episode reviews how climate change has affected Iceland, where warming seas, retreating glaciers and geological conditions make the country an important testing ground where new approaches can be developed and tried in real-world conditions.

A special segment covers ON's Geothermal Park, where it looks at how energy production is evolving from being solely the production of electricity and hot water into a circular economy in which the resources of the Hellisheiði Power Plant are fully utilized.

The episode points out that electricity and hot water are only the beginning of production; other streams, such as geothermal fluids, minerals and gas, are now also being used as raw materials for new industries. In this way, what were once considered by-products are being turned into value.

In the interview, Ingunn says that by applying innovation in operations, ON's goal is not only to maximize value but also to create it in harmony with nature and with sustainability as a guiding principle.

She also points out that such a transformation requires rethinking entrenched systems and attitudes. „It takes innovation to rethink things that have remained unchanged for decades,“ says Ingunn, adding that the project is challenging. By introducing circular thinking, ON is in fact increasing the complexity of its own operations, but in return new economic value and opportunities are created.

Ingunn also emphasizes ON's social responsibility as a publicly owned company. With innovation in energy use, the aim is not only to improve operations but also to create jobs and support the sustainable development of society.

The episode also covers other Icelandic climate solutions projects, including interviews with Maxim Willemse, operations manager at Climeworks, and Sara Lind Guðbergsdóttir, managing director of Climeworks in Iceland, and Berg Sigfússon, systems manager at Carbfix, and Edda Sif Pind Aradóttir, CEO of Carbfix, who discuss carbon capture and storage; both Carbfix and Climeworks are part of ON's Geothermal Park.

You can watch the full episode here, coverage of ON begins at the seventh minute.