Signs of Iceland’s geothermal infrastructure can be seen in the countryside in the form of steam coming out of the ground. Construction is underway in many areas to co-locate businesses and research parks to use this green energy.
Fida Abu Libdeh founded GeoSilica as a spin-off from her PhD research at the University of Iceland; today she’s looking to expand the cleantech company’s proprietary technology platform into agriculture as a food security tool.
The steam rising from Iceland’s geothermal power plants could then play a role in helping farmers grow more resilient crops.
GeoSilica is turning silica recovered from geothermal wastewater into a nano-silica biostimulant that early Italian research trials suggest can improve yields, reduce drought stress and help crops better withstand heat damage — all while creating value from what is considered an industrial waste problem.
GeoSilica has spent the last two growing seasons working with Italian agricultural research company Demetra Italia on field trials involving tomatoes, lettuce, kiwifruit and grapes.
“This could be a game changer,” Abu Libdeh said during a visit to her company’s labs as part of Iceland Innovation Week. “We are a tech company producing critical raw minerals from waste.”
Economies of scale
The technology traces back to a challenge facing Iceland’s geothermal power sector.
When superheated geothermal water rises from underground and cools inside power systems, dissolved minerals — especially silica — begin to solidify and form scale inside pipes. The buildup reduces efficiency, clogs infrastructure and forces geothermal plants to clean their systems using chemical treatments.
“In Iceland there are about 80,000 tonnes of silica per year that can be extracted,” Abu Libdeh said.
Globally, more than 800 geothermal plants face similar challenges; scale buildup in the pipes is estimated to reduce energy efficiency by 15 to 30 per cent.
Rather than treating the silica as waste, GeoSilica developed a process to extract, purify and concentrate it into nano-silica products without using chemicals or stabilizers. The company currently produces about 110 tonnes annually and has already commercialized a line of human health supplements sold in 13 countries.
Abu Libdeh’s PhD research at the U of Iceland looked into silica scaling in geothermal systems. Although she was happy with her progress on the human health side, her real passion lies with food security and agricultural production.
Silica has long been studied for its ability to strengthen plant tissues and improve tolerance to environmental stress, but most agricultural silica products are mined or manufactured using energy-intensive processes.
GeoSilica’s version is different because both the raw material and the energy used to process it come directly from the earth as part of the geothermal energy Iceland is famous for.
Trials in Italy as part of the European Union-funded REGEOSS research project suggest the approach may have significant potential. Results presented by Demetra researchers showed field tomato plants treated with nano-silica showed approximately 14 per cent higher yields, increased silicon content and fewer rotten fruits.
In lettuce, researchers observed dramatically lower post-harvest moisture loss, which could extend shelf life.
Trials on kiwifruit exposed to hot temperatures found reduced leaf and fruit damage, while grapevine studies conducted under drought stress showed treated leaves were nearly 8 C cooler than untreated plants and displayed substantially less water stress and UV damage.
Researchers also observed increased calcium uptake in some crops, supporting Abu Libdeh’s theory that silica may improve mineral absorption in plants much like it appears to in human nutrition applications.
Carbon neutrality
The company is now developing agricultural biostimulant products in partnership with an Icelandic power company and expects Europe to be its first commercial agricultural market.
The timing may work in its favour.
Global fertilizer disruptions and energy instability exposed vulnerabilities in conventional fertilizer supply chains, while climate volatility is increasing interest in crop inputs that can improve resilience without significantly increasing emissions.
Because GeoSilica’s nano-silica is derived from geothermal waste streams using geothermal energy, the company says the product is effectively carbon neutral from a direct emissions standpoint.
“There’s no doubt it’s a more sustainable solution,” Abu Libdeh said, adding she is now raising Series A financing to expand operations. Long-term, licensing the technology to geothermal regions globally is part of her vision.
“We started with health products to raise money,” she said. “But this is much bigger than beauty products or supplements. We are creating value from waste and improving food security.”
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