Superhot Rock Geothermal in Myanmar

The document highlights that just 1% of Myanmar's estimated superhot rock geothermal resource could provide 413 GW of energy capacity, far exceeding the country's 2021 electricity consumption of 19,636 GWh. This resource could theoretically replace all coal and gas used for electricity production, reducing emissions by approximately 9 megatonnes of CO2eq and eliminating the need for coal imports, 45% of which currently come from Russia. Additionally, the technology is noted for its low land footprint—requiring roughly 12 km² per 1 GW—and its potential to leverage existing subsurface expertise from Myanmar's oil and gas sector.

• Preliminary modeling indicates that Myanmar possesses significant superhot rock resources; specifically, 1% of this resource could provide 413 GW of energy capacity and generate over 3,433,566 GWh of electricity, which is 175 times the nation's 2021 electricity consumption.
• Superhot rock geothermal could improve Myanmar's energy independence by replacing coal imports, of which 45% are currently imported, primarily from Russia.
• The technology is highly land-efficient, with an estimated requirement of 12 km² per 1 GW of production, significantly lower than natural gas (160 km²), solar (180 km²), offshore wind (520 km²), and biomass (14,000 km²).
• The transition to superhot rock geothermal could utilize Myanmar's existing oil and gas workforce, as geoscientists, mechanics, and electricians possess subsurface expertise and assets that translate well to this industry.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (n.d.). Superhot Rock Geothermal in Myanmar. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144944/Myanmar-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Superhot Rock Geothermal in Myanmar. n.d. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144944/Myanmar-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Superhot Rock Geothermal in Myanmar |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144944/Myanmar-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 Myanmar}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/22144944/Myanmar-SHR-Regional-Assessment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }