Icelandic volcanoes could be providing power to British homes, under plans to be announced by David Cameron.
The Prime Minister, attending the Northern Future Forum in Reykjavik, is expected to say that the UK and Iceland are to look at establishing an electricity pipeline between the two countries.
The multi-billion pound “interconnector” – involving 750 miles of undersea cabling – would enable the direct export of hydro and geothermal-generated electricity to be exported directly to Britain.
A new UK-Iceland Energy Task Force, set up to examine the feasibility of the scheme, will report back within six months.
Officials said the project – which would take between seven and 10 years to construct – would provide a long-term, renewable source of energy increasing Britain’s future energy security.
Currently, Iceland gets around 95% of its electricity from renewable hydro or geothermal sources.
Earlier Mr Cameron held talks with his Icelandic counterpart Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson ahead of the main Northern Future Forum which joins the UK with leaders from Scandinavia and the Baltic states.
Mr Cameron is the first British prime minister to visit Reykjavik since Winston Churchill in 1941.