Superhot Rock Energy NECP Playbooks for EU Member States

The document argues that superhot rock (SHR) energy—a subset of Engineered Geothermal Systems that accesses rock temperatures exceeding 400°C—could provide a zero-carbon, firm, and energy-dense power source available globally. It notes a significant gap in current EU planning, where only one country (Italy) mentions SHR in its draft NECP, despite 20 countries planning for geothermal energy. The guide recommends that Member States fund pilot demonstrations, map national SHR resources, contribute to a centralised EU geothermal data repository, develop national geothermal strategies, and create stakeholder collaboration platforms. It highlights that SHR systems can potentially produce up to ten times the energy of conventional geothermal wells and could support the production of clean hydrogen.

• Current EU National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) drafts show low adoption of superhot rock (SHR) energy; while 20 countries include geothermal in their energy mix and 10 mention deep geothermal, only Italy specifically mentions superhot rock.
• Superhot rock energy is a form of Engineered Geothermal System (EGS) that involves pumping water into the subsurface to depths where rock temperatures exceed 400°C, returning it as a 'supercritical' fluid to produce carbon-free power or heat.
• SHR energy offers significantly higher energy density than conventional geothermal systems, potentially producing up to ten times the energy of a lower temperature well, and is theoretically available worldwide because superhot conditions exist everywhere in the earth's subsurface.
• To unlock SHR potential, the document recommends that EU Member States implement five key actions: funding pilot demonstrations and R&D, mapping national SHR resources, contributing to a centralised EU geothermal data repository, establishing national geothermal strategies, and creating stakeholder collaboration platforms.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (2024). Superhot Rock Energy NECP Playbooks for EU Member States. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/26143918/necpplaybook_shr.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Superhot Rock Energy NECP Playbooks for EU Member States. 2024. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/26143918/necpplaybook_shr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Superhot Rock Energy NECP Playbooks for EU Member States |date=February 2024 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/26143918/necpplaybook_shr.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforce2024superhot, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{Superhot Rock Energy NECP Playbooks for EU Member States}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2024}, month = feb, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/26143918/necpplaybook_shr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }