Superhot Rock Geothermal in Italy

The document highlights that just 1% of Italy's estimated superhot rock geothermal resource could provide 131 GW of energy capacity, exceeding the country's 2021 electricity demand of 289,064 GWh. This resource could theoretically replace all coal, gas, and electricity imports used for power generation, reducing electricity sector emissions by approximately 93 megatonnes of CO2eq. Additionally, superhot rock geothermal is noted for its low land-use footprint, requiring roughly 12 km² per 1 GW, and its ability to provide 24/7 firm power, which reduces the need for extensive new transmission infrastructure.

• Preliminary modelling indicates that 1% of Italy's superhot rock geothermal resource has the capacity to provide 131 GW of energy, generating over 1,089,531 GWh of electricity. This amount is four times Italy's electricity consumption in 2021, which was 289,064 GWh.
• Utilizing 1% of the superhot rock potential could theoretically eliminate all coal, natural gas, and electricity imports for power production, reducing carbon emissions by about 93 megatonnes of CO2eq. This reduction would represent 39% of Italy's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) goal, although the technology is unlikely to reach commercial scale by 2030.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). Superhot Rock Geothermal in Italy. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144836/Italy-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Superhot Rock Geothermal in Italy. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144836/Italy-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Superhot Rock Geothermal in Italy |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144836/Italy-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 Italy}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144836/Italy-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }