Superhot Rock Geothermal in Algeria

The document highlights that just 1% of Algeria's superhot rock geothermal resource could provide 819 GW of energy capacity, far exceeding the country's projected 2050 electricity demand of 181,286 GWh. While not expected to reach commercial scale by 2030, this technology could theoretically replace all fossil fuels used in Algeria's electricity production, eliminate coal imports, and support desalination and hydrogen production. The resource is noted for its low land footprint (12 km² per 1 GW) and its potential to leverage existing subsurface expertise from Algeria's oil and gas sector.

• Preliminary modeling indicates that Algeria possesses significant superhot rock resources; specifically, 1% of this resource could provide 819 GW of energy capacity and generate over 6,817,120 GWh of electricity.
• The potential energy from 1% of Algeria's superhot rock resource is estimated to be 80 times the country's 2021 electricity consumption and is sufficient to meet the projected 2050 electricity demand of 181,286 GWh.
• Superhot rock geothermal could theoretically replace all coal, oil, and gas used for electricity production in Algeria, which would eliminate the country's total reliance on coal imports.
• Superhot rock geothermal is highly energy-dense with a significantly lower land requirement than other energy sources, requiring approximately 12 km² per 1 GW, compared to 180 km² for solar and 14,000 km² for biomass.
• The transition to superhot rock geothermal could utilize Algeria's existing oil and gas workforce and subsurface expertise, providing a pathway for these professionals to move into zero-carbon energy production.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). Superhot Rock Geothermal in Algeria. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144510/Algeria-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Superhot Rock Geothermal in Algeria. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144510/Algeria-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Superhot Rock Geothermal in Algeria |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144510/Algeria-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforcendsuperhot, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{Superhot Rock Geothermal in Algeria}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144510/Algeria-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }