Superhot Rock Geothermal in Croatia

The document highlights that just 1% of Croatia's estimated superhot rock geothermal resource could provide 6 GW of capacity, generating over 48,521 GWh of electricity. This amount is more than three times the country's 2021 electricity consumption of 15,205 GWh. Such a resource could theoretically replace all coal and gas used for electricity production, reducing carbon emissions by approximately 3 megatonnes, which represents 23% of Croatia's share of the EU's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) goal. Additionally, the technology could eliminate Croatia's dependence on imports for coal (100%), natural gas (79%), and electricity (76%). The report also notes the high energy density of superhot rock geothermal, estimating that 1 GW requires roughly 12 km² of land, significantly less than solar (180 km²), offshore wind (520 km²), or biomass (14,000 km²).

• Preliminary modelling indicates that Croatia possesses significant superhot rock resources; specifically, 1% of this resource could provide 6 GW of energy capacity and generate more than 48,521 GWh of electricity.
• The potential energy from 1% of Croatia's superhot rock resource exceeds the country's 2021 electricity consumption of 15,205 GWh by over 33,316 GWh, offering opportunities for energy exports and hydrogen production.
• Utilizing 1% of the superhot rock potential could reduce carbon emissions by approximately 3 megatonnes by replacing all coal and gas in electricity production, accounting for 23% of Croatia's share of the EU's NDC goal.
• Superhot rock geothermal could significantly enhance Croatia's energy security by replacing imports of coal (100%), natural gas (79%), and electricity (76%).
• Superhot rock geothermal is highly land-efficient, requiring approximately 12 km² per 1 GW, which is substantially lower than the land requirements for natural gas (160 km²), solar (180 km²), offshore wind (520 km²), and biomass (14,000 km²).

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). Superhot Rock Geothermal in Croatia. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144658/Croatia-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Superhot Rock Geothermal in Croatia. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144658/Croatia-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Superhot Rock Geothermal in Croatia |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144658/Croatia-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 Croatia}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144658/Croatia-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }