Superhot Rock Geothermal in Azerbaijan

The document highlights that just 1% of Azerbaijan's estimated superhot rock geothermal resource could provide 94 GW of energy capacity, far exceeding the country's 2021 electricity consumption of 27,885 GWh. This resource could theoretically replace all fossil fuels used in Azerbaijan's electricity production, reducing emissions by approximately 13 megatonnes of CO2eq, which represents 41% of the nation's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) goal. The report emphasizes the technology's low land footprint—requiring roughly 12 km² per 1 GW—and its ability to leverage existing subsurface expertise from Azerbaijan's oil and gas sector.

• Preliminary modeling indicates that Azerbaijan possesses significant superhot rock resources; specifically, 1% of this resource could provide 94 GW of energy capacity and generate over 783,828 GWh of electricity.
• The potential energy from 1% of Azerbaijan's superhot rock resource is estimated to be 28 times the country's electricity consumption in 2021, which was 27,885 GWh.
• Utilizing 1% of the superhot rock geothermal potential could reduce carbon emissions by approximately 13 megatonnes of CO2eq by replacing all coal, oil, and gas in electricity production, achieving 41% of Azerbaijan's NDC goal of reducing emissions by 31.6 megatonnes of CO2eq by 2050.
• Superhot rock geothermal is characterized as an energy-dense resource with a land requirement of roughly 12 km² per 1 GW, which is significantly lower than natural gas (160 km²), solar (180 km²), offshore wind (520 km²), and biomass (14,000 km²).
• The transition to superhot rock geothermal could utilize Azerbaijan's existing oil and gas workforce, including geoscientists, mechanics, and electricians, as well as existing subsurface assets.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). Superhot Rock Geothermal in Azerbaijan. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144540/Azerbaijan-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Superhot Rock Geothermal in Azerbaijan. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144540/Azerbaijan-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Superhot Rock Geothermal in Azerbaijan |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144540/Azerbaijan-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 Azerbaijan}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144540/Azerbaijan-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }