Superhot Rock Geothermal in Iraq

The document highlights that just 1% of Iraq's superhot rock geothermal resource could provide 39 GW of energy capacity, exceeding the country's 2021 electricity consumption by four times. It argues that this resource could replace all gas and electricity imports, reduce carbon emissions by approximately 54 megatonnes, and leverage existing oil and gas subsurface expertise for a zero-carbon transition.

• Preliminary modeling indicates that 1% of Iraq's superhot rock geothermal resource has the potential to provide 39 GW of energy capacity, generating over 326,054 GWh of electricity. This amount is four times Iraq's 2021 electricity consumption of 81,237 GWh.
• Superhot rock geothermal could significantly improve Iraq's energy independence by replacing all electricity imports (which were 51% in 2021) and all gas imports used for electricity production (gas imports were 50% in 2021).
• The deployment of this technology could reduce carbon emissions by approximately 54 megatonnes by replacing all coal, oil, and gas used for electricity production, though it is noted that the technology will not reach commercial scale in time to meet Iraq's 2030 NDC goal of a 15% emissions reduction.
• Superhot rock geothermal is characterized by high energy density and low land use; producing 1 GW requires roughly 12 km² of land, which is substantially less than natural gas (160 km²), solar (180 km²), offshore wind (520 km²), or biomass (14,000 km²).
• The transition to superhot rock geothermal could utilize Iraq's existing oil and gas sector expertise, providing a pathway for geoscientists, mechanics, and electricians to move into zero-carbon energy production.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). Superhot Rock Geothermal in Iraq. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144831/Iraq-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Superhot Rock Geothermal in Iraq. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144831/Iraq-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Superhot Rock Geothermal in Iraq |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144831/Iraq-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 Iraq}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144831/Iraq-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }