Superhot Rock Geothermal in Australia

The document highlights that just 1% of Australia's superhot rock geothermal resource could provide 624 GW of energy capacity, potentially meeting the country's projected 2050 electricity demand of 436,281 GWh. It argues that this technology offers a low-land-footprint alternative to other renewables and a transition pathway for the oil and gas workforce.

• Preliminary modeling indicates that 1% of Australia's superhot rock geothermal resource could provide 624 GW of energy capacity, generating over 5,192,016 GWh of electricity. This amount is 20 times Australia's 2021 electricity consumption and exceeds the projected 2050 electricity demand of 436,281 GWh.
• The technology is characterized by high energy density and low land requirements. Producing 1 GW of superhot rock geothermal is estimated to require roughly 12 km² of land, which is substantially less than the land required for natural gas (160 km²), solar (180 km²), offshore wind (520 km²), or biomass (14,000 km²).
• Superhot rock geothermal provides 'firm power' that is available 24/7, reducing the need for excess generation, expensive backup, and extensive transmission infrastructure compared to variable renewable sources.
• The development of this industry could facilitate a transition for Australia's oil and gas sector, leveraging existing subsurface expertise and assets as well as the skills of geoscientists, mechanics, and electricians.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). Superhot Rock Geothermal in Australia. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144531/Australia-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Superhot Rock Geothermal in Australia. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144531/Australia-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Superhot Rock Geothermal in Australia |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144531/Australia-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 Australia}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144531/Australia-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }