Superhot Rock Geothermal in Brunei

The document highlights that just 1% of Brunei's estimated superhot rock geothermal resource could provide 9 GW of energy capacity, generating over 71,162 GWh of electricity. This amount is approximately 12 times Brunei's 2021 electricity consumption of 5,698 GWh. Utilizing this resource could theoretically replace all coal and gas used for electricity production, reducing carbon emissions by about 5 megatonnes, which represents 77% of Brunei's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) goal of 5.9 megatonnes by 2030. Additionally, the technology is noted for its low land footprint, requiring roughly 12 km² per 1 GW, and its potential to leverage existing subsurface expertise from Brunei's oil and gas sector.

• Preliminary modeling indicates that Brunei possesses significant superhot rock resources; specifically, 1% of this resource could provide 9 GW of energy capacity and generate more than 71,162 GWh of electricity, which is 12 times the country's 2021 electricity consumption of 5,698 GWh.
• Superhot rock geothermal offers high energy density with a very low land-use footprint compared to other energy sources. Producing 1 GW requires approximately 12 km² of land, whereas natural gas requires 160 km², solar 180 km², offshore wind 520 km², and biomass 14,000 km².
• The transition to superhot rock geothermal could utilize Brunei's existing economic strengths in the oil and gas sector, allowing geoscientists, mechanics, and electricians to transition to zero-carbon energy production using similar subsurface expertise and assets.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). Superhot Rock Geothermal in Brunei. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144603/Brunei-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Superhot Rock Geothermal in Brunei. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144603/Brunei-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Superhot Rock Geothermal in Brunei |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144603/Brunei-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 Brunei}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144603/Brunei-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }