Superhot rock energy is growing, but needs more support to reach its full potential

The document describes superhot rock energy as a visionary geothermal technology capable of providing affordable, always-on clean power and hydrogen. While the technology has global potential—with many areas having accessible superhot rock less than 10 km deep—it remains underutilized due to a lack of funding and the risks associated with early-stage innovation. The author highlights that most existing projects are in the drilling phase (Level 2) and none have yet harnessed supercritical fluids for power production. To accelerate commercialization, the brief calls for government funding of high-temperature drilling research and pilot demonstrations, alongside the creation of safe and efficient regulatory regimes.

• Superhot rock energy is most efficient when accessing rock hotter than 374°C (ideally 400°C or more) and highly pressurized at 22 MPa.
• The technology has significant short-term global potential because many regions have superhot rock at depths of less than 10 km, which current drilling technologies can reach.
• Despite its potential, superhot rock energy is largely untapped; fewer than 50 wells have been drilled into superhot or near-superhot conditions across approximately 20 project areas in eight countries: the U.S., Mexico, Iceland, Italy, Greece, Kenya, Japan, and New Zealand.
• Current development is in early stages: of 14 completed projects, all are classified as Level 2 (having drilled into superhot rock), and none have successfully harnessed supercritical fluids for power production as of 2022.
• The primary barriers to growth are a lack of funding and high risk for private investors, necessitating public investment in high-temperature/high-pressure drilling research, surface power facilities, and pilot demonstrations.

APA

Garth, A. (2022). Superhot rock energy is growing, but needs more support to reach its full potential. Clean Air Task Force. https://www.catf.us/2022/11/superhot-rock-energy-growing-needs-more-support-reach-full-potential/

Chicago

Garth, Ann. Superhot rock energy is growing, but needs more support to reach its full potential. Clean Air Task Force, 2022. https://www.catf.us/2022/11/superhot-rock-energy-growing-needs-more-support-reach-full-potential/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Garth |first1=Ann |title=Superhot rock energy is growing, but needs more support to reach its full potential |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=15 November 2022 |url=https://www.catf.us/2022/11/superhot-rock-energy-growing-needs-more-support-reach-full-potential/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{garth2022superhot, author = {Garth, Ann}, title = {{Superhot rock energy is growing, but needs more support to reach its full potential}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2022}, month = nov, url = {https://www.catf.us/2022/11/superhot-rock-energy-growing-needs-more-support-reach-full-potential/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }