Superhot Rock Geothermal in Cambodia

The document highlights that just 1% of Cambodia's estimated superhot rock geothermal resource could provide 304 GW of energy capacity, far exceeding the country's 2021 electricity consumption of 10,156 GWh. This resource could theoretically replace all coal and electricity imports, reducing electricity sector emissions by approximately 4 megatonnes of CO2eq. Superhot rock geothermal is presented as a land-efficient alternative to other renewables, requiring roughly 12 km² per 1 GW, and as a means to foster socio-economic development through job creation and foreign investment.

• Preliminary modeling indicates that Cambodia possesses significant superhot rock resources; specifically, 1% of this resource could provide 304 GW of energy capacity, generating over 2,531,390 GWh of electricity.
• The potential energy from 1% of Cambodia's superhot rock resource is estimated to be 249 times the nation's 2021 electricity consumption, which was 10,156 GWh.
• Superhot rock geothermal could significantly improve Cambodia's energy independence by replacing all electricity imports (currently 33%) and coal imports (currently 97%) used for power generation.
• Superhot rock geothermal is highly land-efficient, requiring approximately 12 km² of land to produce 1 GW, 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).

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). Superhot Rock Geothermal in Cambodia. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144617/Cambodia-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Superhot Rock Geothermal in Cambodia. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144617/Cambodia-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Superhot Rock Geothermal in Cambodia |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144617/Cambodia-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 Cambodia}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144617/Cambodia-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }