Fight fire with fire: Iceland's lava fix for volcanic eruptions

It is building barriers made of solidified lava to divert molten lava from key infrastructure

- Eric Teo

REYKJAVIK, Iceland - With steam rising over turquoise waters and black lava fields stretching to the horizon, the Blue Lagoon in Iceland promises serenity.

But just a stone's throw away from Iceland's most iconic spa, danger simmers in the form of the Svartsengi volcanic system, which has erupted eight times in the past two years.

After lying dormant for eight centuries, the Svartsengi system's first eruption occurred in December 2023 about 2.5km away from the Blue Lagoon.

Each eruption forced evacuations and closures, sending tremors through the nation's tourism industry.

But in November 2023, a new solution had begun to take shape in the form of lava barriers, made of solidified lava.

The barrier network, funded by the Icelandic government, is constructed from cooled lava dating back 800 years - remnants from the last time the Svartsengi system erupted.

So far, enough volcanic rock to fill 1,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools has been used in the construction.

Around 70 workers have been working around the clock to build these barriers, some of which are as tall as a seven-storey building.

When the most recent eruption occurred in April 2025, these walls were able to divert molten lava away from the spa, the nearby town of Grindavik and the critical Svartsengi power plant, which provides heat and electricity to over 30,000 homes and Iceland's main international airport.

To fund the project, the Icelandic government initially pledged 6 billion Icelandic krona (S$60 million) through a nationwide housing tax.

The government funding has since nearly doubled to 11 billion krona.

Mr Vidir Reynisson, director-general of Iceland's Civil Protection and Emergency Management, said the success of Iceland's efforts to protect the nearby town from being scorched by lava is due to planning that began years ago.