Superhot Rock Geothermal in Japan

The document highlights that just 1% of Japan's superhot rock geothermal resource could provide 700 GW of energy capacity, potentially replacing all coal and gas used for electricity production and meeting projected 2050 electricity demand. It argues that this technology offers a low-land-footprint, firm power alternative to fossil fuel imports from Australia and Malaysia, though it is unlikely to reach commercial scale by 2030.

• Preliminary modeling indicates that 1% of Japan's superhot rock geothermal resource has the capacity to provide 700 GW of energy, generating over 5,822,452 GWh of electricity. This amount is six times Japan's 2021 electricity consumption and exceeds the projected 2050 electricity demand of 1,119,964 GWh.
• Utilizing 1% of this resource could theoretically eliminate all coal and gas used in Japan's electricity production, reducing carbon emissions by approximately 482 megatonnes, which represents 63% of Japan's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) goal. However, the technology is not expected to reach commercial scale in time to contribute to 2030 climate goals.
• Superhot rock geothermal could enhance Japan's energy independence by replacing fossil fuel imports, specifically coal and natural gas (of which 97% is imported), primarily sourced from Australia and Malaysia.
• The technology is characterized by high energy density and low land requirements; producing 1 GW of superhot rock geothermal requires approximately 12 km² of land, significantly less than 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 Japan. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144841/Japan-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Superhot Rock Geothermal in Japan. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144841/Japan-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Superhot Rock Geothermal in Japan |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144841/Japan-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 Japan}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144841/Japan-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }