Iskraft AB — Sustainable energy from ice

What we do

Extracting electricity and heat from freezing water.

Ice Power Plants

Iskraft AB develops innovative ice power plants that extract both electricity and heat from freezing water in cold climates.

The technology is built on the fundamental principle that ice expands and generates massive pressure when water freezes. Our concept is to harness this expansion on a large scale to drive generators and produce electricity – around the clock in cold climates.

Energy Potential

Research and testing show that up to 6 kWh of electricity per cubic meter of water can be extracted from the expansive force of freezing ice — over five times more energy per cubic meter than hydropower in the Lule River.

Heat can also be harvested during the freezing process — as much as 93 kWh per cubic meter of water — which can be distributed directly to local district heating networks.

Estimates also indicate that the amount of ice formed annually in the Gulf of Bothnia corresponds to the entire annual electricity demand of Sweden, if generated in ice power plants.

Why Iskraft

Why is ice power needed in the future energy system?

Mitigate Global Warming

By extracting carbon-free energy from water's phase transition, we reduce dependence on fossil energy sources. As a natural bonus, massive amounts of cooling are simultaneously stored in the form of ice during the process.

Lower High Winter Electricity Prices

When it is dark, cold, and windless, solar and wind power stall — just as society's energy demand and electricity prices peak. Ice power operates at its peak when temperatures are lowest, directly helping to stabilize winter prices.

Harness an Unused Natural Resource

Winter cold has long been viewed as a challenge. We transform it into a renewable, large-scale, and local asset for a resilient and stable energy supply.

Meet Growing Energy Demand

As industry and transport electrify, significantly more power is required. Ice power delivers predictable, stable power during the winter months when the rest of the energy grid is under the greatest strain.

Make Clean Energy an Attractive Investment

Many renewable sources generate power when demand and prices are lowest. Ice power generates power continuously when prices are at their highest, combining cost-effective technology with a strong long-term investment case.

Story

From idea to the future of energy systems.

Viktor Björklund

Founder, Iskraft AB

The Story Behind Iskraft

When I was 13 years old, I built my first Stirling engine, powered by the heat from a candle. The idea for Iskraft stemmed partly from that passion for energy engineering, my military service as an Arctic ranger — where we constantly had to melt snow for drinking water — and my Master of Science studies at Luleå University of Technology.

It takes as much energy to melt snow as it does to heat the resulting water to 80°C. It made me wonder why this immense energy source wasn't being utilized. When it came time for my Master's thesis, I decided to design a machine to extract this energy. The thesis resulted in a scholarship from the XO Foundation of 400,000 SEK, as well as 50,000 SEK from Sveriges Ingenjörer, leading me to commit fully to Iskraft AB.

Harvesting energy from freezing water is not a new concept. It is the same physical force that bursts water pipes in winter and was historically used to split stone blocks, known as frost wedging. Professor Bo Nordell at LTU even built a functional go-kart powered by freezing expansion back in the 1980s. However, past research stalled because far more energy was required to thaw the ice than could be extracted from its expansion force. The key innovation behind Iskraft AB is that the ice does not need to be re-thawed, allowing the net energy gain to be harnessed efficiently.

Where We Are Today

Today, Iskraft AB has developed a working prototype and is working towards constructing our first pilot power plant.

Special Thanks

Many thanks to the organizations that have made this journey possible through valuable advice and funding: Sveriges Ingenjörer, XO Foundation, LTU Business, and Almi.

Sustainable energy from ice –
For colder climates.